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TESSA 

Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 


THE 

Little  Cousin  Series 

(trade  mark) 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more  full-page  plates  in 

tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  with  decorative  cover, 

per  volume,  60  cents 

LIST   OF   TITLES 

By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade 

(unless  otherwise  indicated) 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 
Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  MacDonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Greek  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

L.  C.  PAGE 

New  England  Building, 


Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  E.  C.  Shedd 
Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 
Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 

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TESSA 


4*  & 

I  TESSA  I 

*  Our  Little  Italian  Cousin  4^ 


t  By  f 

*  .......  * 


* 


*. 


* 


Mary  Hazelton  Wade 


Illustrated  by 

L.  J.   Bridgman 


PUBLISHERS 


* 


* 


Boston  T 

L.  C.  Page  &  Company 


Copyright,  igoj 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


THE  LITTLE   COUSIN  SERIES 
{Trade  Mark) 


Published,  July,    1903 
Fifth   Impression,  June,   1908 

Sixth  Impression,  November,  1909 
Seventh  Impression,  August,  1910 


Preface 

Many  people  from  other  lands  have  crossed 
the  ocean  to  make  a  new  home  for  themselves 
in  America.  They  love  its  freedom.  They 
are  happy  here  under  its  kindly  rule.  They 
suffer  less  from  want  and  hunger  than  in  the 
country  of  their  birthplace. 

Their  children  are  blessed  with  the  privilege 
of  attending  fine  schools  and  with  the  right  to 
learn  about  this  wonderful  world,  side  by  side 
with  the  sons  and  daughters  of  our  most 
successful  and  wisest  people. 

Among  these  newer-comers  to  America  are 
the  Italians,  many  of  whom  will  never  again 
see  their  own  country,  of  which  they  are  still 
so  justly  proud.  They  will  tell  you  it  is  a 
land  of  wonderful  beauty;  that  it  has  sunsets 
so  glorious  that  both  artists  and  poets  try  to 

v 


vi  Preface 

picture  them  for  us  again  and  again ;  that  its 
history  is  that  of  a  strong  and  mighty  people 
who  once  held  rule  over  all  the  civilized  world  ; 
that  thousands  of  travellers  visit  its  shores 
every  year  to  look  upon  its  paintings  and  its 
statues,  for  it  may  truly  be  called  the  art 
treasure-house  of  the  world. 

When  you  meet  your  little  Italian  cousins, 
with  their  big  brown  eyes  and  olive  skins, 
whether  it  be  in  school  or  on  the  street,  per- 
haps you  will  feel  a  little  nearer  and  more 
friendly  if  you  turn  your  attention  for  a  while 
to  their  home,  and  the  home  of  the  brave  and 
wise  Columbus  who  left  it  that  he  might  find 
for  you  in  the  far  West  your  own  loved 
country,  your  great,  grand,  free  America. 


Contents 


PAGE 


I.    Tessa g 

II.     Rome 18 

III.  The  Story  of  /Eneas         .        .        .        -38 

IV.  Christmas     .......  52 

V.     Saint  Peter's 64 

VI.     The  Christening 75 

VII.     The  Twins 86 

VIII.     The  Carnival 101 

IX.    The  Buried  City 1 15 


List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 


Tessa        .......        Frontispiece 

"  Beppo  walked  by  her  side"  .    .    .      19 

In  the  Palace  Garden 33 

In  St.  Peter's 64 

"  Were  soon  in  the  midst  of  a  merry  crowd"     106 
"It  was  a  strange  place"         .        .        ,        .122 


TESSA 

Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 


CHAPTER  I. 

TESSA 

"  There  comes  babbo !  There  comes 
babbo ! "  cried  Tessa,  as  she  ran  down  the 
narrow  street  to  meet  her  father,  with  baby 
Francesca  toddling  after  her. 

The  man  was  not  alone,  —  Beppo  and  the 
donkey  were  with  him.  They  were  very  tired, 
for  it  was  a  hard  trip  from  the  little  village  on 
the  hilltop  to  the  great  city,  miles  away,  and 
back  again.  The  donkey  was  not  of  much 
help  on  the  homeward  journey,  either.  Poor 
little  patient  beast !  he  was  getting  old  now, 
and  he  felt  that  his  day's  work  was  done  when 

9 


io       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

he  had  carried  a  load  of  nuts  and  vegetables  to 
Rome  in  the  morning.  But  when  he  had 
to  bring  Beppo  back  again,  he  felt  a  little  bit 
sulky.  So  it  was  no  wonder  that  he  stood 
quite  still  every  few  minutes  and  did  not  seem 
to  hear  his  little  master  scold. 

"  Get  up,  Pietro,  get  up.  We  shall  be  late 
to  supper,"  Beppo  would  say,  but  the  donkey 
would  not  move  till  Beppo's  father  used  the 
whip.  He  did  not  strike  hard  enough  to  hurt 
the  poor  creature,  though.  Oh  no,  the  kind 
man  would  not  do  that,  he  was  too  gentle. 
But  he  must  make  the  donkey  know  the  whip 
was  there,  or  they  would  never  get  home. 

When  they  had  crossed  the  wide  plain  and 
reached  the  foot  of  the  hill,  Beppo  got  down 
f.nd  walked.  It  was  too  hard  on  Pietro  to 
make  him  carry  even  a  little  boy  now. 

They  came  up  the  narrow  road  slowly  till 
they  reached  the  village.  And  just  as  the 
sunset  spread  over  the  sky,  and  gave  a  glory 


Tessa  1 1 

even  to  the  stones,  Tessa  caught  sight  of 
them. 

"  My  darling  Tessa,"  said  her  father. 
"  My  dear  little  Francesca."  Tired  as  he 
was,  he  took  the  two  children  in  his  arms  and 
hugged  them  as  though  he  had  been  away 
many  days.  Yet  he  had  left  them  at  five 
o'clock  that  very  morning. 

"  We  have  good  news  for  you,  Beppo  and 
I,"  he  went  on. 

Beppo  laughed  till  the  high,  pointed  hat 
nearly  fell  off  his  head. 

"  Oh,  yes,  good  news,"  said  Beppo.  "  You 
cannot  think  what  it  is,  Tessa.  May  I  tell 
her,  babbo  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  child,"  his  father  answered. 

"  You  are  to  go  to  Rome  to-morrow  with 
babbo  and  me.  The  great  artist  who  buys 
our  fruit  wants  to  see  you.  He  thinks  he 
may  want  you  for  a  model.  And  me,  too, 
Tessa,  he  wants  me !     He  will  put  us  both  in 


12       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

a  picture.  Babbo  said  you  also  had  long  hair, 
and  that  we  look  much  alike. 

"  Only  think,  Tessa !  he  will  pay  babbo  for 
letting  him  paint  us.  And  mother  shall  have 
a  new  dress,  and  you  shall  have  some  red 
ribbons.  We  will  all  have  a  feast.  Say, 
Tessa,  is  there  a  nice  chestnut  cake  waiting  for 
our  supper  ?      I  am  so  hungry." 

The  boy's  great  black  eyes  sparkled  as  he 
told  the  story.  His  long  hair  hung  down 
over  his  shoulders,  under  the  odd  pointed  hat. 
He  was  a  beautiful  child.  It  was  no  wonder 
the  American  artist  wished  to  put  him  in  a 
picture. 

But  Tessa  was  beautiful,  too.  The  artist 
would  not  be  disappointed  when  he  saw  her. 
Her  skin  was  clear,  but  like  the  colour  of  the 
olives  which  grew  on  the  old  tree  behind  her 
house.  And  now  there  was  a  faint  pink  blush 
in  her  cheeks  as  she  listened  to  Beppo's  story. 

They  were  very  happy  children,  but  oh,  so 


Tessa  13 

poor,  you  would  think  if  you  should  visit 
them  in  the  old  house  where  they  have 
always  lived.  It  is  no  wonder  they  like  best 
to  be  outdoors. 

The  house  is  all  of  stone,  and  the  floor  is 
made  of  bricks.  It  seems  dark  and  chilly  in- 
side after  leaving  the  glorious  sunset.  The 
plaster  is  blackened  with  smoke  and  age.  In 
some  places  it  is  broken  away  from  the  wall 
and  is  falling  down. 

But  there  is  a  picture  of  the  Christ-child 
hanging  over  the  rough  table,  and  the  children 
do  not  think  of  the  dingy  walls.  It  is  home, 
where  a  loving  father  and  mother  watch  over 
them  and  guard  them  from  harm. 

See !  the  table  is  spread  with  the  simple 
supper.  There  are  the  cakes  made  from 
chestnut  flour  mixed  with  olive  oil,  and  of 
which  Beppo  is  so  fond.  And  here  is  milk 
from  Tessa's  pet  goat.  Beppo  runs  over  to 
the  stone  fountain  in  the  middle  of  the  village 


14       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

and  fills  a  copper  dish  with  fresh  water,  and 
the  little  family  sit  down  to  their  evening 
meal. 

The  mother  hears  the  good  news,  and  claps 
her  hands  in  delight.  But  what  shall  Tessa 
wear  ?  It  troubles  the  good  soul,  for  Tessa 
has  no  shoes,  and  both  of  her  dresses  are  old 
and  worn. 

"  Never  mind,  never  mind,"  says  her  hus- 
band, "  don't  trouble  yourself  about  that. 
The  artist  says  he  does  not  care  about  the 
clothes.  He  was  much  pleased  with  Beppo's 
cloak,  however.  He  says  it  will  be  fine 
in  the  picture.  Let  Tessa  wear  her  wide 
straw  hat  and  her  old  clothes ;  that  is  all  he 
asks." 

"  But  how  will  she  manage  to  travel  so  far? 
The  child  has  never  before  gone  such  a  dis- 
tance from  home,"  continued  her  mother. 

"  She  is  not  heavy.  She  can  sit  on  Pietro's 
back   between   the  panniers.     I  will  not  load 


Tessa  1 5 

them  heavily  to-morrow,  and  then  Pietro  will 
not  complain.  And  when  we  come  home  at 
night,  Beppo  can  walk,  I  am  sure.  He  may 
be  tired,  but  he  is  a  stout  lad,  my  Beppo  is. 
What  do  you  say,  my  boy  ?  " 

Beppo  was  sure  he  could  get  along.  He 
was  only  too  glad  to  have  Tessa's  company. 

"  But  think,  babbo,"  he  exclaimed,  "  it  is 
not  for  one  day  that  the  artist  wishes  us.  It 
is  many,  many,  before  the  picture  will  be  fin- 
ished. We  can  manage  somehow,  I  am  sure. 
I  am  nearly  twelve  years  old  now,  and  I  am 
getting  very  strong." 

"  But  what  will  mother  do  with  me  away  all 
day  long  ?  "  said  Tessa.  "  Who  will  take  care 
of  the  baby  while  she  works  in  the  garden  ? 
And  who  will  help  her  pull  the  weeds  ?  " 

"  Bruno  shall  watch  Francesca.  He  will  let 
no  harm  come  to  her,  you  may  be  sure.  Be- 
sides, she  can  walk  alone  so  well  now,  she  is 
little  care.     As   for   the  garden,  there  is   not 


1 6       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

much  more  to  do  at  present.  It  almost  takes 
care  of  itself,"  said  the  mother. 

"  Yes,  Bruno  can  be  trusted,"  said  the 
father,  "  he  is  the  best  dog   I   ever  knew." 

As  he  heard  his  name  spoken,  the  sheep- 
dog came  slowly  out  of  the  chimney-corner. 
He  wagged  his  tail  as  though  he  knew  what 
his  master  and  mbtress  had  been  saying. 
Beppo  threw  him  his  last  bit  of  cake  and 
Bruno  caught  it  on  his  nose,  from  which  it 
was  quickly  passed  into  his  mouth. 

"  Dear  old  Bruno,"  said  Tessa,  "  you  took 
care  of  me  when  I  was  a  baby,  didn't  you  ? 
Mamma,  did  Bruno  really  rock  the  cradle  and 
keep  the  flies  off,  so  I  could  sleep  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  child  ;  when  I  was  very  ill  he 
would  watch  you  all  day  long.  And  when 
you  began  to  creep,  he  followed  you  about. 
If  you  got  near  the  edge  of  a  step,  or  any 
other  unsafe  place,  he  would  lift  you  by  your 
dress  and  bring  you  to  my  side.     We  should 


Tessa  17 

thank  the  good  Lord  for  bringing  Bruno 
to  us. 

The  mother  looked  up  to  the  picture  of 
Jesus  and  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  her 
breast. 

An  hour  later  the  whole  family  were  sound 
asleep  on  their  hard  beds. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ROME 

About  four  o'clock  the  next  morning  every 
one  was  awake  and  stirring.  There  was  much 
to  be  done.  The  vegetables  and  fruits  must 
be  gathered ;  the  donkey  fed  and  saddled ; 
Tessa's  hair  must  be  carefully  combed  and 
arranged  in  two  long  braids,  and  the  breakfast 
of  hard  bread  and  olives  eaten. 

Tessa  could  not  eat  as  much  as  usual  to- 
day, she  was  so  greatly  excited.  Think  of  it ! 
This  was  to  be  her  first  trip  to  the  great  city. 
Her  father  and  Beppo  had  told  her  so  much 
about  the  wonderful  sights  there,  and  now  she 
was  going  to  look  at  them  with  her  own  eyes. 

Perhaps  she  would   see  the    children    of  the 

18 


"BEPPO    WALKED    BY    HER    SIDE" 


Rome  19 

artist.  Beppo  had  told  her  of  their  blue  eyes 
and  golden  hair.     He  called  them  little  angels. 

Ah !  she  would  like  to  be  fair  like  them, 
she  thought,  as  she  looked  in  her  tiny  mirror. 
She  did  not  dream  how  they  would  admire  her 
own  sweet  dark  face  and  soft  voice. 

Now  it  was  six  o'clock  and  time  to  start. 
Tessa  seated  herself  on  Pietro's  back  with  her 
legs  hidden  by  the  bags  of  fruit.  Beppo 
walked  by  her  side,  while  her  father  went 
ahead  leading  Pietro  by  a  rope. 

Although  it  was  so  early,  everybody  in  the 
village  seemed  to  be  up  and  doing.  As  she 
passed  along,  Tessa  nodded  good  morning  to 
the  old  women  knitting  or  braiding  straw  on 
the  door-steps. 

"  Pietro,  do  be  careful,"  she  cried,  as  the 
donkey  picked  his  way  among  babies  tumbling 
over  each  other  in  the  narrow  street  while  the 
older  children  played  about  them. 

Our  little  party  passed  the  fountain  where 


20       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

a  group  of  women  were  doing  the  family  wash- 
ing. Every  one  had  a  good  word  for  Tessa, 
and  wished  her  well,  for  the  good  news  of  last 
night  had  travelled  from  house  to  house. 

The  narrow  streets  were  paved  with  blocks 
of  black  lava  which  had  once  flowed  red-hot 
from  the  volcano,  Vesuvius.  High  stone 
buildings  that  were  hundreds  of  years  old 
stood  on  each  side.  Perhaps  in  far-away  times 
they  had  been  forts  or  castles,  but  now  the 
simple  peasants  lived  in  them  with  no  thought 
of  the  grand  old  days  of  their  country. 

For  this  was  Italy,  the  land  of  sunny  skies 
and  the  treasure-house  of  the  world.  Look  in 
your  geography  at  the  map  of  Europe  and 
find  the  oddly  shaped  peninsula  that  stretches 
downward  between  two  seas.  It  looks  some- 
thing like  a  man's  boot,  don't  you  think  so  ? 

Tessa  doesn't  know  anything  about  the 
shape  of  her  country,  however.  She  has  never 
studied  geography.     In    fact,  she   can't  even 


Rome  21 

read,  for  she  has  been  to  school  only  six 
months  altogether. 

The  good  priest  in  the  village  loves  the 
little  girl.  He  has  known  Beppo  and  Tessa 
ever  since  they  were  born.  He  has  tried  to 
make  it  possible  for  these  children  to  get  learn- 
ing, but  many  things  have  happened  to  prevent 
their  studying. 

One  winter  their  father  had  a  broken  leg ; 
at  another,  their  mother  was  sick  in  bed  for 
one  whole  year.  When  that  trouble  was  over, 
the  chestnut  crop  was  very  poor,  and  every 
one  in  the  family  had  to  work  hard  to  earn 
enough  to  save  them  from  starving.  Some- 
thing had  been  the  matter  nearly  all  the  time, 
yet  they  had  kept  cheerful  and  happy.  A 
change  would  come  at  last,  if  they  loved  the 
good  Lord  as  they  should.  This  is  what 
Tessa's  mother  had  said  again  and  again. 

The  little  girl  thought  of  her  mother's 
words  as  she  rode  proudly  off  on  the  donkey. 


22       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

One  of  Beppo's  boy  friends  went  with  them 
as  far  as  the  pasture-land  below  the  village. 
He  was  driving  a  flock  of  goats  which  he  must 
tend  during  the  day.  It  was  an  easy  life,  but 
very  tedious,  and  the  boy  wished  he  could  go 
to  the  city,  too.  He  had  been  there  once,  to 
the  carnival.  It  was  the  grand  time  of  his 
life,  and  he  loved  to  tell  the  story  over  and 
over  to  his  young  friends. 

At  first  the  donkey  trotted  along  quite 
merrily.  His  feet  were  so  sure  that  Tessa  had 
no  fear  of  his  stumbling,  though  the  way  at 
first  was  steep  and  stony. 

"  Good  Pietro,"  said  his  little  rider  as  she 
patted  his  head. 

Perhaps  the  praise  was  too  much  for  him, 
for  Pietro  turned  his  head  to  one  side  and 
came  to  a  standstill.  An  idea  seemed  to  have 
come  to  him.  It  was  time  for  rest  and  a 
lunch.  Look  at  those  nice  tufts  of  grass  by 
the  roadside.     They  must  not  be  left  behind. 


Rome  23 

And  Pietro  began  to  nibble,  as  though  he  had 
no  idea  of  the  important  business  of  the  day. 

Tessa  coaxed  and  Beppo  scolded,  but  the 
donkey  would  not  budge.  It  was  only  when 
his  master  turned  back  and  snapped  the  whip, 
that  he  changed  his  mind  about  going  for- 
ward. 

This  was  only  the  first  of  many  such  stops 
before  they  drew  near  the  city  that  was  once 
the  greatest  in  the  whole  world.  It  well  de-. 
served  the  name  of  Rome,  or  "  The  Famous." 

"  What  are  those  large  mounds  we  are  pass-* 
ing  ?  "  Tessa  asked  her  father  as  she  looked 
off  over  the  Campagna. 

"  Those  are  tombs  of  men  who  lived  ages 
ago  in  this  loved  country  of  ours.  They  were 
very  great,  and  did  noble  deeds." 

"  But,  babbo,  there  is  a  house  built  on  one 
of  the  mounds." 

"  Yes,  my  child,  the  people  have  not  kept 
them  honoured  as  they  should." 


24      Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  Tessa,  look  at  that  stone  water-way  run- 
ning through  the  plain,"  said  Beppo.  "  They 
have  told  me  in  the  city  that  a  great  ruler 
built  it  thousands  of  years  ago.  Think  of 
that,  Tessa.  Thousands  !  It  cost  vast  sums 
of  money,  and  was  made  to  bring  the  water  to 
the  city  from  the  distant  mountains.  In  those 
days  great  quantities  of  water  were  used  in 
immense  bath-houses.  But  see,  we  are  pass- 
ing an  inn.  I  wish  we  were  rich  enough  to 
go  in  and  have  some  lunch." 

His  father  heard  Beppo's  words.  "  Don't 
wish  for  what  you  cannot  have,  my  boy,"  he 
said.  "  Look  at  that  poor  old  man  tending 
his  flock  of  sheep,  and  be  glad  you  are  young 
and  gay.     That  is  best  of  all." 

The  Italians  dread  old  age,  and  many  of  the 
peasants  fear  death.  Beppo  saw  the  shadow 
pass  across  his  father's  face,  and,  like  a  good 
6on,  tried  to  make  it  look  as  cheerful  as  usual. 

"  You  shall  not  grow  old  and  bent  like  that, 


Rome  25 

babbo.  Tessa  and  I  will  soon  be  able  to  let 
you  take  your  ease.  What  do  you  say, 
sister  ?  " 

Tessa  laughed,  and  answered,  "  Oh,  yes, 
babbo,  your  work  is  nearly  done  now,  for  we 
are  fast  growing  up." 

Tessa  was  only  nine  years  old,  but  coming  to 
the  city  to  be  a  model  made  her  feel  as  though 
she  were  a  young  woman  already.  They  now 
entered  the  wonderful  city  filled  with  treasures. 

It  disappointed  Tessa  at  first.  The  streets 
were  narrow  and  crooked,  like  those  of  her 
own  little  village.  The  high  stone  houses 
looked  dark  and  gloomy.  And  there  were 
beggars  here  !  They  looked  poorer  and  more 
ragged  than  any  people  at  home.  Here  was 
an  old  blind  woman  holding  out  a  plate  in 
which  the  passers-by  were  asked  to  put  a  piece 
of  money.  Tessa  wished  she  could  help  her, 
but  she  was  too  poor  herself,  and  the  party 
passed  on. 


26       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
l 

"  You  can't  tell  about  these  places  by  the 
outside,"  Beppo  whispered.  "  Many  of  them 
are  palaces,  Tessa.  Just  v^ait  till  we  come  to 
our  artist's  house.  It  is  I  grand  inside,  and 
there  is  a  court  in  the  middle  of  the  building 
with  fountains  and  statues  and  beautiful  plants. 
And  back  of  the  house  —  but  I  won't  tell  you 
any  more.  You  must  wait  till  you  get  there. 
It  is  very  lovely." 

At  last  the  donkey  came  to  a  standstill  in 
front  of  a  tall  building.  It  was  seven  stories 
high  and  was  all  of  marble. 

"You  knew  when  to  stop,  little  beastie," 
said  his  master.  "You  never  make  mistakes 
of  that  kind,  if  you  do  like  to  nibble  the  grass 
at  the  wrong  time.  Get  down,  Tessa,  this  is 
where  Mr.  Gray  lives. 

"  The  artist  has  his  studio  far  up  at  the  top 
of  the  building.  You  are  to  go  there  this 
morning,  but  his  family  live  on  the  fourth 
piano.     Good-bye,  little  ones.     Be  good  chil- 


\ 

Rome  27 

dren."  The  father  kissed  them  lovingly  and 
went  away  with  Pietro  to  sell  his  fruit. 

Piano,  as  applied  to  a  building,  means  floor 
in  Italian.  It  is  very  common  in  Italy  to  find 
very  different  kinds  of  people  living  on  the 
several  floors,  or  pianos,  of  one  building.  In 
this  old  palace,  which  Tessa  and  Beppo  entered 
for  the  first  time,  very  poor  and  dirty  families 
were  huddled  together  on  the  first  floor  with 
their  dogs  and  other  pets.  Yes,  even  the 
horse  of  one  of  the  families  shared  their  home 
in  this  fine  building. 

But  overhead,  on  the  second  floor,  there 
lived  a  prince,  a  real  live  prince,  with  a  dozen 
servants  to  wait  on  him.  It  did  not  trouble 
him  that  poor  and  dirty  people  were  below 
him,  because  the  walls  were  high  and  thick, 
and  the  floors  were  of  marble.  He  did  not 
seem  to  know  even  that  there  were  such 
people  in  the  world. 

Beppo    and    Tessa   climbed    twenty  -  seven 


28       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

marble  steps  before  they  came  to  the  second 
piano ;  and  still  they  must  keep  going  up,  up, 
up,  until  they  reached  the  very  top. 

"  Stop,  stop,"  Tessa  had  to  say  more  than 
once.  "  I  am  quite  out  of  breath,  and  then, 
too,  I  am  scared  just  a  little  bit.  Beppo,  do  I 
look  all  right  ?  Do  you  think  the  artist  will 
take  me  ?  " 

Then  Beppo  would  put  his  arm  around  his 
sister  and  comfort  her  with  loving  words. 
But  at  last  the  studio  was  reached,  and  the 
children,  flushed  and  excited,  knocked  at  the 
door. 

"  My  father  came  with  us  to  the  city  to-day. 
He  said  you  wished  to  see  us,"  Beppo  grew 
bold  enough  to  say  when  a  pleasant-faced 
gentleman  opened  the  door.  "  He  will  call 
for  us  again  to-night." 

"  Come  in,  little  ones,"  the  gentleman  an- 
swered in  Italian.  "  I  am  glad  you  are  here. 
This  is  Beppo,  I   believe.     I   have  seen  you 


Rome  29 

before.  And  here  is  the  little  sister.  How 
do  you  do,  my  child  ?  Make  yourselves  quite 
at  home  in  these  easy  chairs." 

While  he  was  speaking  to  the  children  he 
was  thinking,  "  How  beautiful  the  little  girl 
is  !  She  will  do  finely.  The  two  will  make 
a  great  picture.  My  own  children  must  see 
them." 

Then  he  went  on  talking  with  Tessa.  He 
showed  her  some  curiosities  and  she  soon 
forgot  her  bashfulness.  But  it  was  a  long 
day.  To  be  sure,  the  children  had  a  delicious 
lunch  which  a  servant  brought  up  to  the 
studio.  The  kind  artist  insisted  they  should 
not  touch  the  food  they  had  brought  with 
them  from  home. 

But  after  all,  it  was  very  tiresome  to  sit 
quite  still  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time.  And 
all  the  while  the  strange  gentleman's  eyes  were 
fixed  on  them  while  his  hand  was  busy  with 
the  brush. 


30       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  This  is  just  a  sketch  to-day,  children. 
After  this,  I  shall  need  only  one  of  you  at  a 
time.  But  I  like  to  have  you  come  together, 
nevertheless.  And  now  your  work  is  over 
for  the  day. 

"  Pretty  hard  not  to  move  about  freely, 
little  one,  isn't  it  ? "  he  said,  as  he  patted 
Tessa  on  the  chin.  Then  he  rang  the  bell 
and  told  the  servant  to  call  his  own  children 
up  to  the  studio.  He  would  not  have  done 
this  if  he  had  not  seen  that  his  young  models 
were  unlike  many  of  the  poor  children  of  the 
city. 

"  They  are  gentle  and  polite,  if  they  are 
peasants,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  My  wife  will 
be  pleased,  for  Lucy  and  Arthur  are  lonesome 
and  need  some  playmates  of  their  own  age." 

A  moment  afterward  merry  voices  were 
heard  and  the  Gray  children  came  skipping 
into  the  room. 

"  They  are  certainly  angels,"  Tessa  said  to 


Rome  31 

herself  when  she  saw  the  golden  curls  of  Lucy 
and  the  fair,  sweet  faces  of  her  brother  and  her- 
self. But  she  could  not  tell  what  they  said, 
for  they  spoke  in  a  strange  tongue. 

"  It  is  not  soft  like  our  own  dear  Italian," 
she  whispered  to  Beppo.  "  It  is  hard,  this 
American  language." 

"  They  call  it  English,  and  not  American," 
her  brother  answered.  "  I  am  going  to  learn 
it  sometime,  myself." 

The  artist  turned  from  them  to  his  own 
children.  He  spoke  in  Italian.  "  Lucy  and 
Arthur  are  just  beginning  to  speak  your 
tongue,  Tessa,  but  they  learn  fast.  They 
wish  to  know  you  and  Beppo.  I  told  them 
you  were  coming.  They  would  like  to  play 
with  you,  but  as  yet  they  cannot  talk  much 
Italian.  It  is  an  hour  yet  before  your  father 
will  come  for  you.  Would  you  like  to  go 
down  into  the  garden  and  walk  among  the 
flowers  for  a  little  while  ? " 


32       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

Tessa's  eyes  sparkled  with  delight,  and  her 
heart  beat  quite  fast  when  Lucy  stretched  out 
her  white  hand  and  held  fast  her  own  brown 
one. 

"  Come,  Tessa  and  Beppo,"  said  Arthur, 
who  now  spoke  to  his  young  visitors  for  the 
first  time.  "  Come,  and  I  will  show  you  the 
garden." 

The  four  children  left  the  studio  and  ran 
down  the  great  staircase.  They  did  not  stop 
until  they  found  themselves  on  the  ground 
floor.  Then  they  passed  out  through  a  wide 
doorway  into  the  courtyard. 

Tessa  held  her  breath  with  delight. 

"  Beppo,  Beppo,  look  at  that  fountain,"  she 
cried.  "And  see  the  lovely  cherub  with  its 
wings  spread." 

Lucy  understood  the  words  and  she  was 
pleased. 

"  The  prince  owns  this  court,"  she  said, 
"  but   he   has   told  father  that  we  may   come 


IN    THE    PALACE    GARDEN 


Rome  33 

here  and  bring  our  friends  when  we  like.  Let 
us  go  into  the  gardens  beyond." 

The  little  Italians  had  Lardly  time  to  notice 
the  statues  and  the  beautiful  plants  before  they 
were  led  into  the  great  garden. 

Here  were  orange-trees  loaded  with  the  yel- 
low fruit.  There  were  beds  of  flowers  in 
bloom,  although  it  was  late  in  November. 
Beyond,  were  stone  walls  over  which  delicate 
vines  were  creeping,  and  marble  statues  were 
half  hidden  in  the  niches. 

"  There  is  a  lizard,"  cried  Arthur.  "  Don't 
you  see  him  creeping  along  that  stone  wall  ? 
He's  a  little  fellow,  but,  oh,  my,  he's  quick  in 
his  motions." 

"  Listen ! "  said  Beppo,  who  had  forgotten 
his  shyness  now.  "  I  will  charm  him.  But 
you  must  all  keep  still." 

He  gave  a  long,  low  whistle.  The  lizard, 
which  had  crept  into  a  hole,  raised  his  head 
and  looked  toward  the  children  in  delight,  as 


o< 


Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 


he  drew  himself  to  the  top  of  the  wall  and  lay 
quite  still. 

Again  Beppo  whistled  in  the  same  way,  and 
the  lizard  crept  nearer.  And  now  he  stretched 
himself  at  length  upon  the  walk  at  Beppo's 
feet. 

"  I  could  keep  him  charmed  like  that  all 
day  long,"  said  the  boy.  "  It  is  queer,  isn't 
it  ?     Did  you  ever  notice  a  lizard's  feet?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  The  odd  way  the 
toes  swell  out  on  the  edges  ?  "  Arthur  asked. 

"  Yes.  That  is  why  the  creature  can  walk 
across  the  ceiling  like  a  fly.  But  it  isn't  the 
only  reason,  for  a  sticky  substance  oozes  out, 
and  that  helps  his  feet  to  fasten  themselves. 
I've  seen  them  do  it  many  times." 

"  I  wonder  how  they  make  that  queer 
noise,"  said  Lucy. 

"They  smack  their  tongues  back  in  their 
mouths,  somehow,"  answered  Beppo.  "  They 
are    ugly     little    things,    aren't    they?       But 


Rome  35 

mother  won't  let  me  kill  them  when  they 
get  in  the  house,  because  they  eat  up  the  flies 
and  spiders." 

The  children  were  walking  now  between  two 
rows  of  laurel-trees. 

"  How  dark  and  glossy  the  leaves  are,"  said 
Lucy.  "  I  think  they  are  lovely.  I  like  to 
get  them  and  make  wreaths.  Then  I  take 
them  up-stairs  and  put  them  on  father's  and 
mother's  heads.  I  pretend  I  am  crowning 
them  as  the  heroes  in  Italy  were  crowned  long 
ago."  Lucy  forgot  her  Italian  and  fell  into 
English  before  she  had  half  finished.  It  was 
no  wonder  that  Tessa  and  Beppo  could  not 
understand. 

Arthur  saw  the  puzzled  look  in  their  faces 
and  tried  to  explain.  He  was  older  than 
his  sister  and  could  speak  Italian  better  than 
she. 

"  Lucy  means  this :  I  suppose  you  know 
that  your  country  was  once  very  great." 


2,6       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

Beppo  nodded  his  head.  Oh,  yes,  and  he 
believed  it  to  be  very  great,  still. 

"And  Rome  was  the  leading  city  in  the 
whole  wide  world,"  Arthur  went  on.  "  Great 
deeds  were  done  by  her  people ;  great  battles 
were  fought ;  great  books  were  written ;  great 
palaces  were  built.  Well,  in  the  olden  times, 
whenever  a  person  had  done  some  truly  great 
thing,  he  was  crowned  with  a  wreath  of  laurels. 
Father  told  me  this,  so  I  know  it  must  be 
true. 

"  But  come,  I  am  afraid  your  father  will  be 
waiting  for  you.  I  didn't  notice  how  fast  the 
time  was  going." 

They  hurried  back  to  the  house.  There, 
to  be  sure,  were  Pietro  and  his  master.  It 
had  been  a  fine  day.  The  fruit  was  all  sold 
for  a  good  price,  and  their  father  was  eager 
to  hear  how  the  time  had  passed  with  his 
children. 

"  Oh,  babbo,  babbo,  they  were  so  kind,  those 


Rome  37 

good  Americans.  And  I  am  very  happy," 
said  Tessa.  She  said  this  softly  as  she  leaned 
over  the  donkey's  side  to  pat  her  father's  face 
while  they  were  on  the  way  home. 

"  The  little  girl  (her  name  is  Lucy,  babbo,) 
did  not  seem  to  notice  my  bare  feet  and  darned 
frock.  She  held  my  hand  a  long  time,  and  I 
know  I  shall  love  her." 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE    STORY    OF    jENEAS 


Day  after  day  Tessa  and  Beppo  travelled 
over  the  road  to  Rome  with  their  father. 
They  were  always  happy,  always  gentle,  always 
merry. 

The  artist  and  his  family  grew  to  love  the 
children  and  wish  they  could  do  something  to 
make  their  lives  easier. 

"  They  are  so  poor,"  Lucy  told  her  brother 
one  night,  "  that  they  eat  meat  only  at  great 
times,  like  Christmas.  It  costs  too  much  for 
them  to  buy  it  every  day  as  mother  does. 
But  they  have  plenty  of  fruit.  I  think  the 
delicious  figs  and  apricots  that  grow  here  in 
this  country  make  up  for  a  good  deal  of  meat. 
And  their  mother  makes  salads  of  all  kinds  of 

38 


The  Story  of  ^Eneas  39 

vegetables.  Perhaps  they  don't  miss  the  meat 
as  long  as  they  are  not  used  to  eating  it  as 
we  are." 

"  How  did  you  know  about  their  food  ? " 
asked  Lucy's  mother,  who  happened  to  hear 
what  she  said. 

"  It  came  about  this  way,  mamma.  We 
were  in  the  kitchen  the  other  day.  I  wanted 
to  watch  the  maid  cooking  over  the  charcoal 
flames  in  that  queer  stone  stove.  And  Tessa 
said  then  she  had  seen  such  a  big  piece  of 
meat  roasting  for  dinner  only  two  or  three 
times  in  her  life.  Then  we  went  on  talking 
and  she  spoke  of  what  she  usually  had  at 
home.  Her  mother  uses  olive  oil  in  almost 
everything,  just  as  our  cook  does.  I  should 
think  it  would  be  better  than  the  lard  we  have 
in  America,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,  for  it  is  much  more  whole- 
some. It  is  obtained  from  olives,  you  know, 
instead  of  the  fat  of  pigs.     People  would  use 


4-0       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

more  of  it  in  America  if  it  did  not  cost  so  much 
by  the  time  it  has  travelled  across  the  ocean. 
But  I  hear  your  father's  footsteps.  Let  us  go 
and  meet  him." 

The  artist  was  not  alone,  for  Tessa  was  with 
him.     She  was  looking  much  pleased. 

"It  is  raining  hard,"  said  Mr.  Gray,  "and 
I  have  just  seen  Tessa's  father  and  asked  him 
to  let  her  spend  the  night  with  us.  It  is  too 
great  a  storm  for  her  to  go  out  in.  The  little 
girl  has  done  finely  for  me  to-day,  and  she  sat 
so  well  that  I  got  along  on  my  picture  quite 
rapidly.  So  she  will  dine  with  us  to-night 
and  I  will  tell  you  stories  in  Italian.  After 
that,  we  will  have  games." 

Lucy  ran  and  put  her  arms  around  Tessa's 
neck. 

"What  a  good  time  we  shall  have,"  she 
cried.  "  Father  tells  lovely  stories.  Oh, 
Tessa,   I    wish   you  were  my  own  sister  *' 

Tessa  turned  her  big  dark  eyes  to  the  floor. 


The  Story  of  ^Eneas  41 

There  were  tears  in  them,  but  they  were  tears 
of  gladness.  She  had  never  had  a  cross  word 
spoken  to  her  in  her  whole  life.  She  had 
never  been  punished  for  any  little  fault.  But 
her  loving  little  heart  had  not  expected  this : 
that  the  American  child  who  was  always 
dressed  so  beautifully,  whose  parents  seemed 
so  rich  in  her  eyes,  should  wish  a  sister  like 
her,  a  peasant  girl.  She  could  scarcely  believe 
it. 

The  dinner  seemed  a  very  grand  one  to', 
Tessa.  One  surprise  was  brought  in  after 
another.  There  were  four  separate  courses  ! 
Last,  came  a  delicious  ice  and  frosted  calces. 
It  seemed  to  the  little  Italian  like  a  feast  of 
the  fairies. 

After  the  dinner  was  over,  the  family  went 
into  the  great  drawing  -  room.  Rugs  were 
stretched  here  and  there  over  the  marble  floor. 
There  were  soft  couches  and  odd,  spider- 
legged  tables  and  chairs. 


42       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  We  don't  own  the  furniture,"  Lucy  told 
her  visitor.  "  It  belongs  here  in  the  palace 
and  is  the  same  kind  as  the  prince  uses.  He 
lives  below  us.  It  is  beautiful,  father  thinks, 
but  he  does  wish  we  could  be  warmer  on  these 
cold,  windy  days.  You  have  very  queer  stoves 
in  your  country,  Tessa.  You  should  feel  the 
heat  that  comes  from  ours  in  America."  And 
Lucy  held  her  hands  over  the  jar  filled  with 
burning  charcoal.  It  certainly  gave  the  room 
little  extra  warmth. 

"  You  look  cold,"  Tessa  answered,  with  her 
voice  full  of  sympathy.  "  I  do  not  feel  so, 
though.  I  suppose  it  is  because  I  have  lived 
out-of-doors  most  of  my  life.  But  think,  we 
do  not  have  much  weather  like  this,  and  it 
will  soon  be  spring." 

Yes,  it  was  true.  Christmas  would  be  here 
in  a  few  days,  and  then,  then,  the  lovely  spring 
would  open  with  its  violets,  its  daisies,  and  its 
strawberries. 


The  Story  of  ^Eneas  43 

"  Are  you  ready  with  your  story,  father  ? " 
asked  Lucy,  as  she  perched  herself  on  the  arm 
of  his  chair.  Arthur  stretched  himself  on  a 
rug  at  his  father's  feet,  and  at  the  same  time 
drew  Tessa  on  her  low  stool  to  his  side. 

"  I  shall  have  to  be  ready,  at  any  rate,  I 
think,"  her  father  answered,  laughing.  "So 
prepare  to  listen  closely,  for  I  must  speak  in 
Italian,  that  Tessa  may  understand. 

"  I  wish  you  to  imagine  a  time  of  long  ago," 
he  went  on.  "  It  was  before  any  history  was 
written  about  this  country.  There  were  many 
different  tribes  of  people  who  lived  along  the 
shores  of  the  rivers  and  built  temples  to 
strange  gods.  Those  people  believed  in  a  god 
of  the  forest,  and  others  of  the  ocean,  the 
fruits,  and  the  grains.  Festivals  were  held  in 
their  honour. 

"After  many  years,  the  country  became  great 
and  powerful.  This  city  was  built  and  ships 
were  sent  from  it  to  all  parts  of  the  known 


44       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

world.  It  was  at  this  time  also  that  art  and 
poetry  flourished.  Sculptors  modelled  beauti- 
ful statues  that  we  count  among  our  greatest 
treasures  to-day.  And  men  wrote  great  books 
that  you,  Lucy  and  Arthur,  will  study,  by 
and  by. 

"  One  of  these  writers  was  Virgil.  He 
wrote  in  Latin,  the  language  spoken  by  these 
people.  The  soft  Italian  words  in  use  now 
are  pleasant  to  the  ear,  but  not  as  strong  and 
grand  as  the  old  Latin  tongue." 

"  Doesn't  any  one  speak  in  Latin  now, 
father?"  asked  Lucy. 

"  No,  my  dear.  But  it  is  studied,  and  the 
books  written  in  Latin  are  read  by  scholars. 
Our  own  English  language  would  be  very  poor 
if  it  had  not  received  a  great  deal  of  help  from 
the  Latin.  In  fact,  the  same  thing  can  be  said 
of  nearly  every  language  used  in  the  Western 
world  to-day.  But  I  am  afraid  you  are  getting 
tired.     I  will  go  back  to  my  story. 


The  Story  of  ./Eneas  45 

"  It  was  written  by  the  poet  Virgil,  and  tells 
of  the  wonderful  things  that  happened  to  a 
prince  called  iEneas.  He  lived  in  Troy  and 
was  always  called  the  Pious  iEneas.  This 
was  because  he  was  so  good  to  his  old 
father,  and  honoured  the  gods  in  whom  he 
believed." 

"  Did  he  really  live,  father,  or  is  this  only  a 
legend  ?  "  asked  Arthur. 

"  We  think  now  it  is  a  legend,  but  the  story 
is  written  as  if  every  word  were  true,  and  be- 
longed to  the  real  history  of  Italy.  But  let 
me  go  on  with  my  story. 

"iEneas  and  his  people  had  been  conquered 
in  a  great"  battle,  and  their  city  was  given  up 
to  their  enemies.  The  young  prince  fled  in 
the  darkness,  carrying  his  father  on  his  back, 
and  leading  his  little  boy  by  the  hand.'  His 
wife  followed  behind  them.  The  old  man 
carefully  held  some  little  images.  They  must 
not  be  left  behind  or  lost,  for  they  represented 


46       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

the  gods  in  whom  the  Trojans  believed  and 
whom  they  worshipped. 

"  When  they  had  gone  a  little  way,  iEneas 
found  that  his  wife  was  no  longer  following 
them.  What  could  have  happened  to  her  ? 
He  looked  for  her  everywhere,  but  it  was  of 
no  use.  No  trace  of  her  could  be  found,  and 
she  was  never  heard  of  again. 

"  When  /Eneas  and  his  men  reached  Mount 
Ida  they  built  some  ships  and  set  sail.  They 
would  find  a  new  home  for  themselves." 

"  But  where  was  their  old  home,  father  ? 
You  called  it  Troy,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Troy  was  a  place  in  Asia  Minor,  near  the 
strait  with  the  long  name  of  the  Hellespont. 
This  strait  separates  that  part  of  Asia  from 
Greece,  and  the  rest  of  Europe.  You  can 
easily  find  it  on  your  map.  But  remember 
this,  as  I  go  on,  —  in  olden  times  the  ships 
were  small  and  people  knew  little  about  the 
seas  or  the  great  ocean,  and  seldom  went  far 


The  Story  of  yEneas  47 

from  home.  What  you  would  think  of  as  a 
short  voyage  would  have  seemed  a  very  long 
one  to  the  people  then. 

"  Many  wonderful  things  happened  to 
iEneas  after  he  left  Troy.  After  a  while  his 
provisions  gave  out,  and  he  landed  on  the 
shore  of  an  island  to  get  some  food.  He 
found  wild  goats  grazing  there,  and  his  men 
killed  some  of  them.  While  they  were  feast- 
ing on  the  flesh  of  these  creatures,  the  harpies 
appeared.  They  had  the  bodies  of  birds,  but 
the  faces  of  ugly  old  women." 

Tessa  shuddered.  "Are  there  any  reaL 
harpies  ?  "  she  asked,  eagerly. 

"No,  no,  Tessa.  Remember  that  this  is 
only  a  legend. 

"  These  horrible  bird-hags  flew  down  into 
the  midst  of  the  Trojans  and  destroyed  their 
dinner.  The  men  shot  at  them,  but  the  arrows 
glanced  off  of  the  feathers,  and  not  one  of  the 
harpies  was  harmed.     Although  most  of  them 


48       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

flew  far  away,  they  were  very  angry.  One  of 
them  stayed  long  enough  to  cry  in  a  harsh 
voice : 

"  '  You  Trojans  shall  be  punished  for  troub- 
ling us.  You  shall  be  tossed  about  on  the 
ocean  until  you  reach  Italy,  and  you  shall  not 
build  a  city  for  yourselves  until  you  are  so 
hungry  that  you  will  be  willing  to  eat  the 
trenchers  containing  the  food.' 

"  This  was  what  people  called  a  prophecy, 
and,  as  iEneas  and  his  men  believed  in  such 
things,  it  made  them  feel  far  from  cheerful. 

"He  sailed  away,  however,  and  came  at 
length  to  another  place,  where  he  found  old 
friends.  His  cousin,  Helenus,  who  had  also 
been  driven  away  from  Troy,  was  ruling  there, 
and  he  had  built  a  new  city  for  himself  and  his 
comrades. 

"  Helenus  was  a  prophet,  as  it  seemed,  and 
he  told  iEneas  that  after  he  reached  Italy  he 
would  find  an  old  white  sow  with  thirty  little 


The  Story  of  ^Eneas  49 

pigs  around  her.  He  must  build  a  city  for 
himself  wherever  he  should  find  her. 

"  iEneas  had  many  other  adventures  after 
leaving  Helenus.  Among  other  things,  he 
met  a  horrible  giant  who  had  lost  the  sight  of 
his  one  eye,  but  was  still  terrible.  Alter  this, 
the  old  father  of  iEneas  died,  and  the  son's 
sad  loss  was  followed  by  a  fearful  storm  in 
which  the  men  nearly  gave  up  hope  of  seeing 
land  again.  The  ships  were  driven  far  to  the 
south. 

"After  the  wind  had  died  down  and  the 
waves  had  grown  calmer,  the  homeless  wan- 
derers came  to  a  quiet  bay.  They  landed  and 
found  a  lovely  queen  who  treated  iEneas  so 
kindly  that  he  almost  forgot  the  city  he  had 
planned  to  build  in  Italy.  But  after  awhile 
the  god  Mercury  appeared  to  him  and  re- 
minded  him   of  his   duty. 

"  He  set  sail  once  more,  leaving  the  beau- 
tiful queen  so  unhappy  that  she  killed  herself 


50       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

with  a  sword  her  visitor  had  left  behind. 
There  were  many  other  adventures,  but,  at 
last,  iEneas  came  to  the  shores  of  Italy,  where 
he  rested  in  a  grove.  He  and  his  followers 
sat  around  on  the  grass  to  eat.  They  used 
large,  round  cakes  for  plates  on  which  to 
place  the  meat.  After  it  was  gone,  they 
began  to  eat  the  cakes.  Then  iEneas's  little 
son  said : 

"  l  We  are  eating  our  trenchers.' 

"  When  he  heard  these  words  iEneas 
thought  of  the  harpy's  prophecy.  He  knew 
at  once  that  his  home  was  to  be  here." 

"  Was  it  where  Rome  stands  now  ?  "  asked 
Lucy. 

"  No,  the  place  was  called  Cumae.  There  is 
another  story  about  the  building  of  Rome 
which  you  may  like  to  hear  some  other  even- 
ing. Let  us  play  games  for  awhile,  and  then, 
little  ones,  for  bed  and  pleasant  dreams." 

Every  one  joined  in  a  game  of  blind  man's 


The  Story  of  ^neas  51 

buff.  Tessa  had  never  played  it  before  and 
she  enjoyed  it  very  much.  Then  she  showed 
them  'how  to  play  one  of  the  games  she  had 
learned  from  the  children  of  her  own  village. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


CHRISTMAS 


"  Mother,"  said  Lucy,  one  day  late  in 
December,  "  Tessa  says  she  never  gets  pres- 
ents on  Christmas  Day.  Those  always  come 
on  Twelfth  Night  in  Italy.  What  a  queer 
idea !  But  she  says  there  are  processions  in 
the  churches,  and  all  sorts  of  beautiful  sights. 
Will  father  take  us  to  Saint  Peter's  then,  do 
you  think  ?  " 

Lucy  had  only  been  in  Italy  six  months  and 
there  were  many  interesting  things  she  had 
not  seen  yet. 

"  Certainly,"  answered  her  mother.  "Your 
father  and  I  have  been  thinking  of  asking 
both  Tessa  and  Beppo  to  spend  Christmas 
week  with  us.     You  will  enjoy  the  sights  all 

5* 


Christmas  53 

the  more  if  you  have  them  with  you.  What 
do  you  think  ?  " 

Lucy'  was  so  pleased  she  jumped  up  and 
down  in  delight. 

"  You  good,  kind  mother,"  she  cried.  "  Of 
course,  it  will  be  lovely." 

That  very  night  Tessa's  father  was  asked  if 
he  would  be  willing  his  children  should  visit  the 
artist's  family.  The  good  man's  face  beamed 
with  pride.  Oh,  yes,  he  was  only  too  glad 
they  should  have  such  an  honour  and  pleasure. 
He  knew  his  wife  would  also  rejoice. 

There  was  to  be  no  trouble  about  the 
clothes.  A  new  suit  was  already  waiting  for 
Beppo,  while  the  artist's  wife  had  herself  made 
two  pretty  dresses  for  Tessa. 

"You  are  too  kind,"  cried  the  peasant. 
His  hands  seemed  to  say  this  as  well  as  his 
voice.  What  would  an  Italian  do  without 
hands  to  help  him  in  talking  ?  Sometimes 
they  seem  to  express   more  than  his  voice. 


54       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

In  this  way  it  came  to  pass  that  Tessa  and 
Beppo  bade  good-bye  to  the  little  village  on 
the  hillside  for  nearly  two  weeks.  They  must 
be  home  at  Twelfth  Night,  however,  to  bring 
presents  to  mother  and  Francesca.  Oh,  yes, 
there  was  no  doubt  of  that. 

But  in  the  meantime  it  was  to  be  a  holiday. 
The  children  were  not  to  sit  as  models  for  one 
minute.  The  artist  would  let  his  brushes  rest 
and  go  about  the  city  with  his  family  and 
their  young  visitors. 

Christmas  Eve  came  at  last,  although  the 
hours  before  it  arrived  seemed  like  weeks  to 
the  excited  children. 

A  carnage  drove  up  to  the  palace  door. 
They  were  all  to  drive  to  a  beautiful  church 
called  Santa  Maria  Maggiore,  where  the  Pope 
himself  would  be  that  night. 

"  Why  is  he  such  a  great  man,  and  why  do 
the  people  give  him  such  reverence  ?  "  asked 
Arthur. 


Christmas  55 

Tessa  heard  the  question.  Her  pretty  face 
flushed.  "  Why,  Arthur,  he  is  the  head  of 
our  church,  the  Catholic  Church,"  she  an- 
swered, quickly.  "  It  is  not  only  here  in 
Italy,  but  all  over  the  world  that  we  Catholics 
honour  him  !  " 

The  little  girl  was  ignorant  about  many 
things  in  her  own  city  that  Lucy  and  Arthur 
could  explain  to  her,  but  she  had  been  taught 
from  birth  to  think  of  the  Pope  as  the  most 
holy  person  in  the  world. 

But  why  was  the  Pope  to  be  present  in  the 
church  Christmas  Eve  ?  The  children  had 
already  been  told  that  on  this  occasion  a  piece 
of  the  cradle  in  which  Jesus  had  lain  was  to  be 
carried  through  the  church.  At  least,  Tessa 
and  her  brother  and  all  good  Catholics  be- 
lieved it  to  be  a  part  of  his  cradle.  They 
thought  that  by  some  miracle  it  had  been 
saved  for  nineteen  hundred  years,  and  was 
now   cared    for   sacredly   in   their   loved    city. 


56       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

Any  one  who  wished,  might  look  upon  it  at 
Christmas  time. 

The  peasant  children  believed  it  could  do 
great  wonders.  Why,  if  they  were  sick,  and 
even  dying,  it  might  save  their  lives  if  they 
were  allowed  to  touch  it. 

Tessa  whispered  this  to  Lucy  ^s  they  mixed 
with  the  people  entering  the  church.  They 
passed  along  between  two  rows  of  beautiful 
marble  columns.  They  were  obliged  to  move 
slowly  because  the  crowd  was  so  great.  But 
Lucy's  father  soon  led  them  to  the  doorway 
of  a  small  chapel,  where  they  could  stand  while 
the  procession  passed  up  to  the  altar.  The 
sacred  cradle  was  carried  first,  and  behind  it 
followed  the  Pope  with  the  cardinals  and  other 
high  officers  of  the  church. 

The  Pope  was  carried  in  a  chair  above  the 
heads  of  the  people  and,  as  he  passed  along, 
he  held  out  his  hands  to  bless  them  as  they 
knelt  before  him. 


Christmas  57 

Tessa  and  Beppo  had  never  looked  upon 
him  before.  Indeed,  they  were  scarcely  able 
to  see  him  or  any  other  part  of  the  procession 
now,  because  of  the  great  crowd.  But  they 
knew  he  was  there  and  that  they  were  near 
him.  This  was  enough  to  satisfy  their  pious 
little  hearts.  Lucy  and  Arthur  were  most 
pleased  to  think  that  these  Italian  friends  were 
made  so  happy. 

"Is  that  all,  father?"  Lucy  whispered. 
cc  It  is  hot  and  close  here.  Can't  we  go  home 
now  and  have  our  Christmas  tree  ? " 

Her  father  said  that  he  was  quite  willing  to 
go,  for  he  saw  that  his  wife  was  as  tired  as  his 
little  daughter. 

An  hour  afterward  they  were  in  the  great 
drawing-room  at  home.  Many  candles  gave 
a  soft  and  pleasant  light  to  the  room  ;  for  gas 
and  electricity  were  not  used  in  many  Roman 
houses. 

A  curtain  was   drawn,   and    there    stood    a 


58       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

beautiful  Christmas  tree,  —  not  of  pine  or 
balsam,  such  as  Lucy  and  Arthur  would  have 
in  America.      It  was  of  laurel. 

"Oh!  Oh!  Oh!"  exclaimed  Beppo.  He 
had  never  seen  anything  like  it  before,  for  his 
people  are  not  used  to  this  custom  of  having 
Christmas  trees.  And  Tessa's  eyes  sparkled, 
too,  as  she  drew  one  long  sigh  of  happiness. 
What  beauty  met  her  eyes !  Was  it  indeed 
fairy-land,  —  these  tiny  lights  shining  on  every 
twig  of  the  tree ;  gilded  oranges  hanging  from 
the  branches  ;  and  toys,  so  many  she  was  sure 
she  could  not  count  them. 

Could  it  be  true  that  this  lovely  wax  doll 
was  her  very  own  ?  Lucy's  father  had  said  so, 
but  she  was  afraid  she  might  rub  her  eyes  and 
wake,  and  find  it  all  a  dream. 

As  for  Beppo,  he  was  equally  delighted 
to  find  himself  the  owner  of  a  jack-knife 
with  four  blades,  a  fine  ball  with  which  he 
could  teach  the  American  children  his  favour- 


Christmas  59 

ite  game  of  pallone,  in  which  he  was  very 
skilful.  ' 

There  were  neither  skates  nor  sleds.  They 
would  be  of  no  use  in  Italy,  the  land  of  sunny 
skies,  where  snow  is  unknown  except  on  the 
high  mountain-tops. 

The  evening  was  a  merry  one,  but  it  came 
to  an  end  at  last. 

"  To  bed,  to  bed,  children,"  Lucy's  mother 
cried  at  length.  "  To-morrow  there  will  be 
more  sights,  and  you  must  not  get  sick  over 
your  good  time." 

Christmas  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear. 

The  children  waked  early  and  did  not  seem 
any  the  worse  for  sitting  up  so  late  the  night 
before.  Soon  after  breakfast,  an  open  carriage 
appeared  at  the  door  of  the  palace  and  they  all 
rode  off  to  visit  the  greatest  church  in  the 
world. 

"  At  last  we  are  on  our  way  to  Saint  Peter's," 
said  Arthur.     "  Tessa,  you  may  well  be  proud 


60       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

when  you  think  of  the  people  who  come  here 
from  all  parts  of  the  world  to  see  the  grand 
buildings." 

Tessa  was  proud.  This  was  her  Italy,  her 
Rome,  her  Saint  Peter's.  She,  a  poor  little 
peasant  maiden,  felt  richer  at  this  moment  than 
the  owner  of  a  million  dollars. 

The  party  had  to  ride  over  a  bridge  before 
they  could  reach  the  church. 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  of  the  river  over 
which  this  bridge  is  built  ? "  Arthur  asked  his 
sister. 

.  "  The  Tiber,  the  yellow  Tiber,"  she  an- 
swered gaily.  "  You  ought  to  remember, 
Arthur,  that  father  read  us  the  poem  a  few 
days  ago  about  the  guarding  of  the  bridge.  It 
made  a  shiver  creep  down  my  back  when  I 
thought  of  the  three  men  holding  the  bridge 
against  the  army  of  their  enemies.  It  stretched 
across  this  very  river." 

"It  was  hundreds  of  years  ago,"  Lucy  went 


Christmas  61 

on,  turning  toward  Tessa,  "  that  those  brave 
men  saved  the  city.  They  kept  the  enemy 
from  entering  until  the  bridge  was  cut  down. 
The  last  one  stood  on  guard  until  he  felt  the 
supports  give  way.  Then  he  cried  out  to  the 
river : 

*'  *  O  Tiber,  Father  Tiber,  to  whom  the  Romans  pray, 

A  Roman's  life,  a  Roman's  arms  take  thou  in  charge  this  day.' 

"  An  instant  afterward  he  jumped  into  the 
rushing  stream  and  swam  with  all  his  might 
back  to  his  people  and  the  city  he  had  saved." 

"  Did'  he  escape  ? "  Beppo  asked.  "  I 
should  think  his  enemies  would  have  killed 
him  before  he  was  able  to  get  out  of  the  reach 
of  their  weapons." 

"  They  admired  his  bravery  so  much  they 
had  mercy  on  him  and  did  not  try  to  hit  him 
after  he  jumped  into  the  water.  Then  they 
turned  away,  for  they  could  not  reach  Rome 
now  that  the  bridge  was  destroyed." 


62       Our  Little   Italian  Cousin 

As  Lucy  finished  the  story  she  could  not 
help  saying  to  herself,  "  I  do  hope  Tessa  and 
Beppo  will  be  able  to  go  to  school  and  study 
about  this  grand  country  of  theirs.  They  love 
it  as  dearly  as  I  love  America,  but  they  do  not 
know  as  much  of  the  history  of  its  great  men 
as  I  do  now." 

Her  father  was  thinking  at  the  same  time, 
"  What  a  pity  it  is  there  are  so  many  poor 
and  ignorant  people  in  Italy.  How  I  wish 
the  children  of  to-day  could  grow  up  and 
make  the  country  what  it  was  once." 

The  sun  was  shining  so  brightly  by  this 
time  that  the  girls  had  to  raise  their  parasols 
to  shade  their  eyes  as  they  looked  along  the 
crowded  street.  It  was  filled  with  carriages  all 
going  in  the  same  direction  as  themselves. 
The  sidewalks,  too,  were  packed  closely. 
There  were  all  kinds  of  people ;  lords  and 
ladies,  priests  in  their  shovel  hats,  cardinals  in 
their  elegant  robes.     All  would  soon  enter  the 


Christmas  63 

great  cJmrch.  Their  faces  looked  happy  and 
full  of  joy. 

"  Shall  we  not  be  crowded  worse  than  we 
were  last  night?"  asked  Mrs.  Gray.  She 
looked  a  little  bit  worried. 

"  O  no,  you  need  have  no  fear  about  that/' 
her  husband  replied.  "  Forty  thousand  people 
can  easily  gather  in  Saint  Peter's  and  then  it 
will  not  be  full,  by  any  means." 

The  carriage  stopped  in  front  of  a  long  cov- 
ered archway  built  of  marble.  They  stepped 
down  and,  entering  it,  soon  found  themselves 
in  the  court  in  front  of  the  church. 

The  church  itself  is  built  in  the  shape  of  an 
immense  cross,  and  where  the  four  lines  of  the 
cross  meet,  there  is  a  huge  dome  overhead. 

"  I  can  see  the  dome  of  Saint  Peter's  from 
my  home  on  the  mountain,"  Tessa  said  to 
Lucy.  "  If  I  were  far  away  in  another  part 
of  the  world,  I  am  sure  I  should  picture  it  in 
my  mind  whenever  I  thought  of  Rome." 


CHAPTER  V. 


SAINT    PETER  S 


The  children  now  entered  the  great  build- 
ing. What  a  glory  of  colour  was  around  them. 
There  was  a  blaze  of  gold  and  purple  and 
crimson.  The  windows  were  set  with  glass  of 
all  the  beautiful  tints  of  the  rainbow.  The 
floors  were  laid  in  small  pieces  of  marble  in 
exquisite  patterns. 

"  Oh,  Lucy,  Lucy,"  whispered  Tessa,  "  look 
at  the  walls  and  pillars  !  Gems  such  as  your 
mother  wears  are  shining  there.  And  how 
beautifully  they  are  carved." 

Lucy's  only  answer  was,  "  Look  overhead, 
Tessa,  and  see  the  paintings.  There  are  the 
figures  of  the  apostles.  They  appear  as  large 
as  life,  although  we  are  so  far  below  them." 

64 


Jr. 


in  st.  peter's 


Saint  Peters  65 

Just  then  her  father  told  her  to  notice  the 
pen  in  St.  Luke's  hand. 

"  I  have  been  told  that  it  is  seven  feet  in 
length,"  he  said,  "  yet  it  is  so  far  away  it  seems 
only  as  long  as  the  one  you  use  at  home, 
Lucy." 

Soft  music  was  now  heard  pealing  from  the 
organ,  and  they  moved  slowly  along  to  the 
seats  Mr.  Gray  had  engaged  for  them. 

"  Look,  look,  Lucy  !  "  whispered  Tessa,  a 
few  minutes  after.  "  He  is  coming,  and  we 
can  see  him  to-day,  I  am  sure." 

It  was  the  Pope,  of  course.  Two  enormous 
fans  could  be  seen  waving  at  the  other  end  of 
the  great  building.  The  procession  of  priests 
and  cardinals,  in  their  purple  robes,  moved 
slowly  and  grandly  along.  The  Pope  was 
behind  them  in  a  chair  carried  on  poles  by 
twelve  bearers.  The  fans  were  kept  waving 
on  each  side  of  the  great  man. 

As  he  passed  onward  between  the  rows  of 


66       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

soldiers  in  their  gorgeous  uniforms,  they  knelt 
before  him. 

"  He  holds  out  only  two  fingers  of  his  hand 
over  the  bent  heads  of  the  people.  That  is 
all  there  is  of  the  blessing,  I  suppose,"  said 
Arthur.  "  But  he  smiles  pleasantly,  and  has  a 
kind  face." 

At  last  the  procession  reached  the  altar. 
The  Pope  stood  up  before  the  people,  and 
they  could  see  he  was  robed  in  white.  He 
chanted  the  service,  after  which  a  choir  of 
beautiful  voices  began  to  sing.  The  balcony 
where  the  singers  stood  was  richly  gilded. 

When  the  service  was  ended,  Mr.  Gray  told 
the  children  to  wait  quietly  where  they  were. 

"  When  most  of  the  people  have  passed 
out,"  he  said,  "  we  will  walk  about  and  ex- 
amine this  beautiful  cathedral  more  carefully. 
There   is    a   great   deal    you    have    not    seen 

A.      »> 

yet. 

In  a  few  minutes  the   building  was  nearly 


Saint  Peter's  67 

empty,  and  Mr.  Gray  led  the  way  from  one 
part  of  it  to  another.  He  opened  the  door 
into  one  of  the  chapels  at  the  side. 

"  Look  within,"  he  said.  "  This  chapel  is 
as  large  as  an  ordinary  church.  Yet  there  are 
a  number  just  like  it  which  lead  from  the  main 
part  of  the  cathedral.  They  seem  tiny  beside 
it,  though." 

Tessa  and  Beppo  loved  to  stop  at  the  differ- 
ent shrines  where  the  figures  of  Jesus  and  his 
mother,  Mary,  were  always  found.  They  were 
beautifully  carved  and  sparkled  with  rich 
jewels. 

"  Now  let  us  visit  the  statue  of  St.  Peter 
himself,"  said  Mr.  Gray.  "  Some  say  it  was 
never  meant  for  that  good  man,  but  is  really 
the  likeness  of  a  heathen  emperor.  But  nearly 
every  one  who  worships  here  does  not  wish  to 
believe  that.  And  so  many  visitors  have  come 
here  to  give  him  honour  that  one  toe  of  the 
statue  is  a  good  deal  worn  off." 


68       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean,  father  ?  "  asked 
Lucy. 

"  Just  what  I  said,  my  dear.  It  is  thought 
to  be  quite  proper  to  kiss  the  toe  of  the  statue 
of  St.  Peter.  I  don't  know  how  the  fashion 
started,  but,  at  any  rate,  I  believe  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  people  have  knelt  before 
the  statue  and  done  that  very  thing.  You 
can  see  the  marks  of  it  for  yourself." 

After  St.  Peter  had  been  duly  examined, 
Mr.  Gray  proposed  that  a  visit  should  be 
made  to  the  wonderful  dome. 

"  But  there  are  a  good  many  stairs  to  climb. 
Do  you  think,  wife,  that  you  will  be  able  to 
mount  them  ?  " 

"If  the  little  girls  can  do  it,  I  am  sure  that 
I  can,"  replied  Mrs.  Gray,  as  she  turned  to 
Tessa  and  Lucy.  It  was  quite  easy  to  see  by 
their  smiles  and  nods  that  they  were  eager  to 
try  it. 

"  Then    let    us    start    at    once,"    said    her 


Saint  Peter's  69 

1 

husband,  beckoning  to  a  guide  to  show  the 
way. 

They  passed  through  a  door  in  the  side  of 
the  church,  and  entered  a  passage  which 
wound  round  and  round,  yet  up  and  still  up, 
till  they  reached  a  balcony  around  the  foot  of 
the  dome.  The  stairway  by  which  they  had 
come  was  so  broad  and  rose  so  gradually  that 
one  could  easily  mount  it  on  horseback. 

"  Many  a  person  has  ridden  to  the  top  on 
a  donkey,"  the  guide  told  the  children,  which 
amused  them  very  much. 

As  they  looked  down  from  the  balcony,  the 
people  in  the  body  of  the  church  seemed  like 
tiny  dolls,  they  were  so  far  below. 

"  But  this  is  not  all,"  said  Mr.  Gray.  "  As 
soon  as  you  stop  panting,  we  will  go  higher 
yet. 

"  All  ready,  father,"  said  Lucy,  after  a  five 
minutes'  rest.  "  I'm  sure  we  are  equal  to 
another  climb  now." 


70       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

The  next  flight  of  stairs  was  very  narrow. 
It  led  to  another  balcony  around  the  top  of 
the  dome. 

"  Do  not  think  this  is  all,"  said  Mr.  Gray. 
"  We  can  go  higher  yet,  for  we  have  not 
reached  the  lantern." 

After  much  puffing  and  gasping  for  breath, 
and  the  climbing  of  more  narrow  stairs,  they 
found  themselves  in  a  large  room  inside  the 
lantern.  As  they  looked  out  of  the  windows 
in  that  lofty  place,  a  wonderful  view  was  spread 
before  their  eyes.  Below  was  the  square,  and 
leading  out  from  it  were  many  archways  with 
curved  tops,  like  the  one  through  which  the 
children  first  entered  the  church.  The  palace 
of  the  Pope  was  at  hand,  with  its  wonderful 
library  and  art  treasures. 

Beyond,  across  the  Tiber,  lay  the  great  city, 
with  its  palaces,  fountains,  temples,  and  the 
ruins  of  the  greatest  and  finest  buildings  in  the 
world ;  some  of  them  two  thousand  years  old. 


Saint  Peter's  71 

"  I  can  look  far  out  upon  the  sea  that  Co- 
lumbus first  sailed,"  exclaimed  Arthur.  "  In- 
deed, it  seems  as  if  I  could  almost  see  Spain, 
where  he  went  to  get  help.  You  know  the 
story  of  Columbus,  don't  you,  Beppo  ?  " 

The  Italian  lad  shook  his  head.  No,  but 
he  wished  to  hear  it.  Would  Arthur  tell  him 
the  story  some  day  ? 

Arthur  said  he  would  be  glad  to  do  so,  for, 
although  Columbus  was  an  Italian,  he  felt  that 
he  belonged  to  America.  Where  would  he  be 
now,  if  Columbus  had  not  discovered  the  new 
world  ?     Who  should  say  ? 

"  Look  straight  down  at  the  roof  of  the 
church  below  us,"  cried  Lucy.  "  Did  you 
ever  hear  of  anything  so  odd  ?  There  is  a 
little  cottage  !  The  idea  of  a  house  built  on 
the  roof  of  a  church  !  What  can  be  the  reason 
for  its  being  there  ?  " 

"It  is  only  a  room  made  for  the  work- 
men," said  the  guide.       "  They  are  busy  all 


72       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

the  time  repairing  the  church  in  one  part  or 
another." 

"  Now  let  us  go  home  and  have  the  Christ- 
mas dinner,"  said  Mr.  Gray,  after  they  had 
rested  a  few  moments  longer. 

An  hour  afterward  the  children  were  gath- 
ered aroand  the  great  dining-table.  But  there 
was  no  Christmas  turkey  in  the  middle.  There 
was  a  dish  of  larks  instead  ! 

"  Poor  little  birds,"  said  Lucy.  "It  is  too 
bad  to  kill  tiny  things  like  you,  that  we  may 
have  something  nice  to  eat." 

"  What  is  the  bird  of  your  country,  Beppo  ?  " 
asked  Arthur. 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  think  it  ought  to  be 
the  nightingale,"  the  little  Italian  answered. 
"  Ah !  I  love  to  hear  him,  he  sings  so 
sweetly."  The  boy's  face  lighted  up  as  he 
said  this.  "  And  what  is  the  bird  of  America, 
Arthur  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  eagle  has  been  chosen,  but  I  think  it 


Saint  Peters  73 

ought  to  be  the  turkey,  for  my  country  gave 
that  glorious  fowl  to  the  world." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray  laughed  at  Arthur's 
words,  but  a  moment  after  his  father  said  : 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  my  boy.  The 
turkey  truly  belongs  to  us,  while  the  eagle  is 
not  only  found  in  many  other  lands,  but  it  has 
been  the  national  emblem  of  several  countries." 

The  Christmas  holidays  passed  only  too 
quickly,  and  the  day  before  Twelfth  Night 
soon  arrived.  The  shops  were  full  of  things 
suitable  for  presents,  and  a  great  fair  was  held 
in  the  city,  around  which  crowds  of  Italians 
were  busy  buying  their  gifts.  Beppo  and 
Tessa  wandered  up  and  down  with  their 
American  friends. 

They  were  perplexed  as  to  what  they  should 
get  for  their  dear  ones  at  home.  There  were 
many  things  from  which  to  choose.  They 
felt  as  though  they  had  quite  a  little  fortune 
to  spend,  for   Mr.   Gray   had   given   each   of 


74       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

them  what  would  be  equal  to  a  dollar  in  our 
money. 

They  had  never  had  so  much  money  before, 
and  they  turned  from  one  thing  to  another 
before  they  finally  decided  upon  a  dress  and  a 
big  gilt  brooch  for  their  mother,  a  new  hat  for 
their  father,  and  little  red  kid  shoes  for  Fran- 
cesca. 

"  She  never  had  any  shoes  in  her  life," 
Tessa  told  Lucy.  "  I  never  had  any  either, 
till  your  mother  gave  me  these." 

When  the  peasant  called  at  the  palace  to 
take  the  children  home,  he  brought  great 
news. 

"  We  have  a  new  baby,"  he  said.  "  It  is  a 
beautiful  boy  just  a  day  old.  And  now  we 
must  have  a  christening  as  soon  as  Twelfth 
Night  is  over.  We  will  ask  the  kind  artist 
and  his  wife,  as  well  as  our  own  friends,  to 
come." 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE    CHRISTENING 


Tessa  and  Beppo  were  so  eager  to  see  the 
precious  baby,  they  could  hardly  wait  to  get 
home.  They  were  even  a  little  cross  with 
Pietro  when  he  stopped  to  nibble  choice  bits 
of  grass  by  the  roadside.  But  what  could  a 
poor  stupid  donkey  be  expected  to  care  about 
a  baby  only  a  day  old  ? 

Home  was  reached  at  last,  however,  and  the 
children  bounded  into  the  dark  room  where 
their  mother  lay  watching  for  them.  A  small 
basket  cradle  stood  beside  the  curtained  bed ; 
in  it  was  the  sweetest,  tiniest  baby. 

"  He  is  sound  asleep,  mamma,"  said  Tessa, 
after  kissing  her  mother  at  least  a  dozen  times. 
"  How  I  wish  he  would  wake." 

75 


j6       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

<c  I  do  believe  he  looks  like  me,  the  darling 
little  boy,"  she  exclaimed,  when  the  baby's 
eyes  opened  at  last. 

The  kind  neighbour  who  had  come  in  to 
look  after  the  family  for  a  few  days  lifted  the 
baby  tenderly  and  placed  him  in  Tessa's  arms. 
He  was  so  swaddled  in  clothes  and  blankets 
it  didn't  seem  as  though  he  could  be  hurt, 
even  if  the  little  girl  should  drop  the  precious 
bundle.  But  there  was  no  fear  of  that.  She 
was  used  to  babies,  and  had  taken  almost  all 
the  care  of  Francesca  since  that  little  girl  was 
a  month  old. 

But  where  was  Francesca  now  ?  The  little 
tot  was  holding  fast  to  her  sister's  dress.  She 
wanted  to  be  as  near  as  possible  to  this  won- 
derful new  brother.  When  he  began  to  cry, 
she  said  : 

"  Baby  wants  the  candle ;  baby  wants  the 
candle."  She  thought  he  had  already  begun 
to    notice    things    about    the    room,   and    was 


The  Christening  77 

longing  for  the  lighted  candle.  Everybody 
laughed. 

i;He  is  hungry ;  that  is  all,  you  foolish 
Francesca.  You  are  only  a  baby  yourself," 
said  Beppo. 

After  the  baby  had  been  put  back  in  the 
cradle,  Tessa  went  to  the  bedside  of  her  mother 
and  told  her  of  her  lovely  visit  to  the  grand 
home  of  the  Americans. 

"  To-morrow,  when  you  are  not  so  tired,  I 
will  tell  you  more  about  it.  But  after  all, 
home  is  tne  best  place  in  the  world.  Now 
that  I  can  look  at  you,  I  don't  care  if  I  can't 
see  the  procession  to-morrow.  Just  think ! 
babbo  says  that  an  image  of  the  Holv  Child  is 
carried  up  and  down  the  aisles  of  one  of  the 
churches.  It  is  richly  dressed  in  silks  and  jewels. 
After  awhile  it  is  placed  on  a  stage  with  wax 
figures  of  the  Virgin  and  Joseph  and  the  Three 
Wise  Men.  1  here  is  even  a  manger  there,  and 
a  big  cow  or  ox.     It  must  be  very  beautiful." 


78       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  When  you  are  older,  we  will  go  together," 
said  the  mother,  softly.  "  i  went  to  Rome  on 
Twelfth  Day  several  times  when  I  was  younger. 
But  many  things  have  happened  to  prevent  it 
lately."  She  sighed  as  she  thought  of  the 
sickness  and  the  hard  work  of  the  last  few 
years. 

All  the  next  day  Francesca  was  so  happy 
with  the  bright  red  shoes  that  she  did  not 
need  to  be  watched.  Every  one,  except  the 
dear  mother  lying  quietly  behind  the  snowy 
bed-curtains,  was  busy  preparing  for  the 
christening. 

A  bright  fire  was  kept  burning,  and  the 
odour  of  onions  and  garlic  filled  the  kit- 
chen. There  must  be  all  sorts  of  nice 
dishes  at  the  morrow's  feast,  and  the  good 
neighbour  was  cooking  from  morning  till 
night. 

Among  other  things,  she  prepared  some 
wonderful    cakes.      Tessa  thought    they  were 


The  Christening  79 

among  the  greatest  dainties  in  the  world. 
There  were  olives  and  pistachio-nuts  and 
garlic  in  them,  I  am  sure.  Tessa  would  have 
to  tell  you  the  rest,  for  she  helped  in  making 
them. 

Every  one  was  awake  bright  and  early  the 
next  morning,  and  a  crowd  of  the  village 
people  went  with  the  father  and  baby  to  the 
little  village  church.  Tessa  and  Beppo  kept 
is  near  as  possible  to  their  new  brother. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gray,  with  Lucy  and  Arthur, 
arrived  in  a  carriage  just  as  the  party  was 
entering  the  church  door.  The  children  had 
begged  so  hard  to  come  that  their  parents 
could   not   refuse. 

Tessa  and  Lucy  hugged  and  kissed  each 
other  as  though  they  had  been  apart  for  a  long 
time. 

When  all  had  entered  the  church,  the  baby 
was  carried  to  the  font  and  was  baptized  by 
the  kind-faced  priest. 


80       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

What  was  his  name  now,  you  ask?  It  was 
Angelo,  after  his  proud  father,  who  handed 
him  around  among  his  friends  as  soon  as  the 
baptism  was  over.  Every  one  must  have  a 
chance  to  kiss  him.  As  he  was  passed  from 
one  to  another,  a  piece  of  money  was  tucked 
away  in  his  clothes  by  each  one. 

No  matter  how  poor  the  person  was,  some 
little  bit  was  given  with  a  right  good  will.  It 
was  but  a  symbol  of  the  love  and  friendship 
of  these  simple  peasants  for  each  other. 

When  Mr.  Gray's  turn  came,  he  hid  in  the 
baby's  dress  a  piece  of  money  so  big  as  to 
make  his  mother's  eyes  open  with  delight 
when  it  was  shown  her  afterward.  She  had 
never  before  seen  a  gold  coin  worth  ten  dollars 
in  her  life. 

The  christening  party  now  turned  back  to 
the  house,  where  the  mother  lay  waiting  for 
them.  The  feast  was  all  spread  and  the 
visitors  gathered  around  the  table  with  good 


The  Christening  81 

appetites.  Lucy  and  Arthur  and  their  parents 
stayed,  for  Tessa's  father  looked  quite  hurt 
when  they  spoke  of  going  home. 

"  Not  stop  to  share  our  feast !  "  he  cried. 
"Ah!  that  is  sad!  sad!" 

And  so  they  remained  and  took  part  in  the 
merrymaking.  Some  of  the  villagers  played 
on  their  bagpipes.  Tessa  performed  a  very 
pretty  dance,  and  Beppo  sang  two  songs  with 
his  rich,  soft  voice. 

"  We  have  had  a  lovely  time,"  said  Lucy, 
as  the  beautiful  colours  began  to  light  the  sun- 
set sky,  and  her  father  bade  her  get  ready  to 
leave.  "  But  we  wish  Tessa  and  Beppo  to 
come  home  and  stay  with  us  another  week. 
Don't  we,  father  ?  " 

Mr.  Gray  answered,  "  Yes,  we  should  like 
it  very  much.  After  my  holiday,  I  must  paint 
quite  steadily,  and  I  wish  to  finish  the  picture 
of  Tessa  and  Beppo  at  once.  It  would  not 
be  easy  for  you  to  bring  the  children  to  me 


82       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

every  day  now  that  your  wife  is  sick.  So 
please  let  them  go  back  with  us." 

This  was  how  Tessa  and  Beppo  came  to  go 
back  to  Rome  with  the  family  of  the  artist. 
The  carriage  was  a  little  crowded,  but  no  one 
cared.  All  were  so  busy  laughing  and  talking 
that  it  seemed  only  a  few  minutes  before  they 
drew  near  the  city  gates. 

"  1  believe  it  was  not  far  from  here  that 
Agrippa  told  the  people  the  fable  so  often 
repeated  since  that  time." 

The  painter  was  looking  out  of  the  carriage 
over  the  Campagna. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  the  exact  spot,"  he  said, 
half  to  himself. 

"Tell  us  about  it;  do,  please,  father,"  said 
Lucy.  "  What  was  the  fable,  and  who  was 
Agrippa,  and  why  did  he  come  out  on  this 
dreary  place  to  tell  a  story  ? " 

"  It  was  a  long  time  ago ;  even  long  before 
the  birth  of  Jesus,"   Mr.  Gray  replied.     "  It 


The  Christening  83 

was  when  Rome  was  a  powerful  city.  There 
were  two  great  classes  of  the  people,  —  the 
patricians,  who  were  rich  and  owned  most  of 
the  land,  and  the  plebeians,  who  had  little 
power  and  were  mostly  poor. 

"  The  patricians  ruled  the  city  to  suit  them- 
selves and  did  not  treat  the  plebeians  justly. 
At  last,  when  they  could  not  stand  this  unfair 
treatment  any  longer,  they  came  together  and 
marched  out  of  the  city. 

" '  We  will  claim  our  rights,'  they  said, 
and  made  ready  to  attack  the  patricians,  who 
remained  in  Rome. 

"It  was  a  time  of  danger  for  the  city,  since 
there  was  a  greater  number  of  the  poor  than 
of  the  rich.  What  should  be  done  ?  A  very 
wise  man  named  Agrippa  was  chosen  to  go  out 
on  the  Campagna  and  reason  with  the  plebeians. 
When  he  drew  near  to  them,  he  said : 

" f  I  have  a  fable  which  I  wish  to  tell  you. 
It  is  this : 


84       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

" c  Once  upon  a  time  all  the  limbs  of  a 
man's  body  became  provoked  because  they 
had  to  work  for  the  stomach.  The  legs  and 
feet  were  obliged  to  carry  it  about ;  the 
hands  had  to  get  food  for  it ;  the  mouth  ate 
for  it ;  the  throat  swallowed  for  it ;  the  head 
thought  for  it ;  and  so  on.  They  said  it  was 
a  shame  they  had  to  work  so  hard  for  that  one 
organ.     What  use  was  it,  indeed  ! 

"  l  They  agreed  to  do  nothing  more  for  it  at 
all.  They  stopped  their  work,  but,  strange  to 
say,  they  began  to  grow  weak  and  helpless. 
At  last  they  said  to  each  other,  "  We  shall  all 
starve  and  die  unless  we  go  back  to  our  old 
work.  The  stomach  has  seemed  useless  to  us 
before,  but  now  we  see  that  we  were  mistaken." 

"  After  he  had  ended  his  story,  Agrippa 
went  on  to  say  that  all  classes  of  people 
depended  on  each  other,  and  that  all  would 
perish  unless  they  worked  together. 

"  Both   the   poor  and    the   rich   seemed   to 


The  Christening  85 

think  that  this  was  good  advice.  The  ple- 
beians marched  back  into  the  city  and  took  up 
their  old  work,  while  the  patricians  promised 
to  be  fairer  in  their  dealings. 

<c  Thus  peace  was  made  and  Rome  was 
saved." 

As  Mr.  Gray  finished  the  story  the  carriage 
drew  up  in  front  of  their  home. 

"  What  a  short  ride  it  seemed,"  said  Tessa. 
"It  must  have  been  because  of  the  story  you 
told  us,  Mr.  Gray.     I  shall  never  forget  it" 


CHAPTER   VII. 


THE    TWINS 


"  Tessa  and  Beppo  are  two  of  the  best 
models  I  ever  had,"  said  Mr.  Gray.  "  They 
were  perfectly  quiet  and  did  just  what  I 
wished.  My  picture  is  finished  and  you  must 
all  come  up  and  look  at  it." 

It  was  a  sunny  afternoon  nearly  a  week  after 
the  christening  of  Tessa's  baby  brother.  Lucy 
and  Arthur  were  in  the  drawing-room  with 
their  mother  when  Mr.  Gray  opened  the  door 
with  these  words. 

There  was  a  great  scampering  over  the  stairs 
as  the  two  children  tried  to  see  who  could 
reach  the  studio  first. 

"  Oh,     how    lovely,    how    lovely  ! "    cried 

Lucy,  who  was  the  winner  of  the  race.     She 

was  standing  in  front  of  the  canvas. 

86 


The  Twins  87 

And  what  do  you  think  she  saw  ?  A  little 
flower-girl  out  on  the  Campagna.  She  sat  on 
the  back  of  a  donkey  that  certainly  looked 
much  like  Pietro.  The  girl's  bare  feet  were 
almost  hidden  by  two  great  bags  of  fruit  hang- 
ing from  the  donkey's  sides. 

In  her  lap  was  a  basket  of  flowers  that  she 
would  sell  in  the  city  to-day.  A  boy  who  was 
the  very  image  of  Beppo  held  the  donkey's 
bridle. 

"  How  beautiful  you  have  made  Tessa's 
curls,"  said  Lucy.  "  But  they  are  not  a  bit 
lovelier  than  hers  really  are.  Look  at  the 
feather  in  Beppo's  pointed  hat,  Arthur,  and 
the  gaiters  buttoned  up  to  the  knees.  And 
see  the  brown  cloak  thrown  over  his  shoulders. 
It's  the  very  way  he  wears  it." 

"  But  you  haven't  noticed  the  herd  of  oxen 
in  the  distance,"  said  the  modest  little  Tessa. 
She  was  quite  abashed  by  the  attention  given 
to   the    figures   of    her   brother   and    herself 


88       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  They  are  going  back  to  the  hillside  for  the 
night.  What  a  lovely  soft  gray  they  are 
painted.  I  love  these  dear  gentle  creatures. 
They  could  do  great  harm  with  their  large, 
spreading  horns,  but  they  are  too  kind  for 
that." 

"  Yes,  and  see  the  shepherds  standing  in 
that  field  of  daisies,"  said  Beppo.  "  More 
than  once  my  father  and  I  have  stayed  all 
night  in  just  such  a  place  when  the  storm 
overtook  us  and  we  could  not  get  home." 

"  How  I  love  the  mountains,  far  away  in  the 
soft  light,"  said  Mrs.  Gray.  "  They  make 
a  beautiful  background  for  the  rest  of  the 
picture." 

"  When  you  have  admired  it  as  much  as 
you  like,  I  think  we  had  better  take  a  half- 
holiday  and  see  some  of  the  sights,"  proposed 
Mr.  Gray.  "  It  is  only  two  o'clock  now  ;  how 
soon  can  you  all  be  ready  ?  " 

"In  five  minutes,  can't  we,  mother?"  said 


The  Twins  89 

Lucy,  who  was  always  delighted  to  have  her 
father's  company.  He  was  usually  so  busy  he 
could  not  often  go  anywhere  with  them. 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Gray.  "We  will  not 
delay.  Get  your  hats,  children ;  we  can  come 
here  to-morrow  to  enjoy  the  picture  again." 

This  time  they  decided  to  walk,  that  the 
children  might  stop  wherever  they  wished. 

"  What  is  this  show  ?  Oh,  do  look  !  " 
cried  Tessa,  as  they  came  to  a  big  box  set  up 
on  the  side  of  the  street.  A  man  could  be 
seen  partly  hidden  behind  the  curtain.  He 
was  making  some  puppets  act  out  a  little  play. 
He  changed  his  voice  so  as  to  represent  first 
one,  then  another. 

"  That  is  a  Punch  and  Judy  show,"  said 
Arthur.  "  You  may  watch  it  while  I  go  over 
to  that  little  flower-girl's  stand.  I  am  going 
to  buy  a  bunch  of  pansies  for  mother.  I  think 
that  is  the  girl's  grandfather  standing  by  her 
side.     He  must  be  lame,  for  he  has  a  crutch. 


go       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

I  suppose  they  are  very  poor.  Perhaps  that 
child  supports  them  both." 

After  Arthur  had  bought  his  flowers,  they 
walked  on  till  they  came  to  a  shrine  set  up 
against  the  wall.  It  was  a  picture  of  Saint 
Mary  and  the  infant  Jesus  in  a  rough  wooden 
frame. 

Tessa  and  Beppo  knelt  before  it  and  were 
very  quiet  for  a  minute   or  two. 

"  They  are  repeating  some  prayers,"  whis- 
pered Lucy  to  her  brother,  as  they  passed 
slowly  on.  "  When  we  rode  back  from 
Tessa's  home  the  other  night,  I  noticed  she 
suddenly  stopped  talking  and  shut  her  eyes 
when  we  passed  one  of  those  shrines  out  on 
the  Campagna." 

"  She  is  a  good  little  Catholic." 

"  Arthur,  look  at  that  poor  donkey.     You 

can't  see  anything  but  his  legs  and  his   nose. 

He  is  carrying  such  a  big  load  of  hay  that  the 

* 
rest  of  his  body  is  out  of  sight." 


The  Twins  91 

Their  father  came  up  to  them  at  this 
moment,  and  said  :  "  How  would  you  like  to 
take  a  carriage  now  and  visit  the  Coliseum  ? 
We  still  have  plenty  of  time,  and  I  have  never 
been  there  with  you." 

"  Good  !  good  !  "  cried  the  children. 

While  they  were  waiting  for  the  carriage 
they  bought  some  of  the  big  Italian  chestnuts 
at  a  stand  where  a  boy  stood  roasting  them 
for  the  passers-by. 

They  had  not  ridden  far  before  they  came 
upon  a  crowd  of  people  around  a  fire. 

"  What  are  they  doing  ? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  I  think  I  know,"  Tessa  answered.  "  They 
are  heating  pine-cones  so  as  to  get  the  seeds. 
Did  you  ever  eat  them,  Lucy  ?  I  am  very 
fond  of  them." 

"  What  a  queer  idea  !  But  then,  your  pine- 
trees  are  different  from  any  I  have  seen  grow- 
ing  at  home.     I   don't   doubt   they   are  very 

>» 

nice. 


92       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

When  they  drove  up  in  front  of  the  Coli- 
seum, they  saw  before  them  one  of  the  grandest 
ruins  in  the  world.  It  was  built  when  Rome 
was  still  a  great  city,  and  was  made  to  hold 
eighty  thousand  people. 

"  Why  do  you  speak  of  it  as  a  c  sacred  ruin,' 
father  ?  "  asked  Arthur. 

"  Whenever  we  look  at  it  we  think  of  the 
Christians  who  suffered  terrible  deaths  there 
because  of  what  they  believed,"  Mr.  Gray 
answered.  "  The  Coliseum  was  finished  about 
seventy  years  after  the  birth  of  Jesus.  It  was 
the  place  where  the  public  games  went  on  and 
where  the  wild  beast  shows  and  fights  were 
held. 

"  You  can  see  that  one  side  of  the  great  wall 
of  the  building  is  still  standing  in  pretty  good 
condition.  It  was  made  in  the  shape  of  an 
oval,  as  you  also  see.  Now,  imagine  an  open 
space,  or  arena,  in  the  middle,  and  all  around  it 
rows  on  rows  of  seats,  built  one  above  the  other. 


The  Twins  93 

"  Listen  !  Can't  you  imagine  you  hear  the 
roars  of  wild  beasts  that  were  once  kept  in 
vaults  beneath  the  building  ?  When  they 
were  needed  they  were  drawn  up  in  their  cages 
into  the  arena. 

"  After  the  spectators  had  taken  their  seats, 
a  signal  was  given  and  the  doors  of  the  cages 
were  flung  open.  The  furious  beasts  would 
rush  out  and  frightful  scenes  would  follow. 
The  creatures  were  either  set  against  each  other 
or  against  men  who  had  been  sentenced  to 
death." 

"  And  would  people  go  to  see  such  terrible 
things  for  their  own  pleasure  ?  "  asked  Tessa. 
Her  face  was  full  of  pain  at  the  idea. 

"  Yes,  my  dear.  It  showed  that  the  city 
was  in  a  bad  state  when  the  Romans  could  take 
delight  in  seeing  other  creatures  suffer,  whether 
they  were  men  or  beasts,"  was  the  answer. 

"  But  I  told  you  that  we  of  to-day  hold  the 
place  sacred  to  the  Christians.    That  is  because 


94       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

in  those  sad  times  they  were  cruelly  put  to 
death  here.  One  good  bishop,  I  remember, 
was  killed  by  lions  in  this  very  spot.  But 
he  went  to  his  death  cheerfully,  —  he  was  glad 
to  be  a  martyr  to  his  faith." 

"  It  looks  bright  and  pleasant  now,"  said 
Mrs.  Gray.  "  It  is  hard  to  believe  that  such 
dreadful  things  ever  took  place  here.  See 
the  pretty  vines  growing  out  between  the 
stones  in  the  wall ;  and  listen  to  the  shouts 
of  those  boys  as  they  run  and  jump  among 
the  ruins." 

As  the  children  seemed  ready  for  a  change, 
Mr.  Gray  proposed  that  they  should  visit  the 
Capitol,  where  they  could  see  many  beautiful 
statues  ;  after  which,  they  must  go  home,  for 
the  afternoon  was  nearly  gone. 

That  evening  Lucy  took  her  place  on  one 
arm  of  her  father's  chair  and  told  Tessa  to 
take  the  other. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  she,  "  stop  talking  and 


The  Twins  95 

be  quiet,  and  perhaps  father  won't  be  too  tired 
to  tell  us  about  the  building  of  Rome.  Will 
you,  father  dear?" 

Mr.  Gray  could  never  refuse  his  little 
daughter  when  she  spoke  like  that.  And  if 
this  had  not  been  enough,  there  were  Tessa's 
great  soft  eyes  looking  at  him.  They  seemed 
to  say,  "Oh,  do,  please,  tell  us,"  although 
Tessa  herself  was  too  shy  to  ask  him  with  her 
voice. 

"  About  Rome,  you  say.     All  right. 

"Once  upon  a  time  there  were  two  little 
boys —  " 

"  But  when  was  this  l  once  upon  a  time?'' 
interrupted  Arthur.     "You  began  the  story  of 
iEneas  with  the  very  same  words." 

"It  was  quite  a  while  after  iEneas  settled  in 
Italy.  The  two  boys  were  his  great-great- 
great-grandchildren  ;  thirteen  times  great,  I 
believe.  Their  mother  was  a  vestal  virgin,  — 
that  is,  she  was  a  maiden  who  tended  the  sacred 


g6       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

fire  in  the  temple  of  the  goddess  Vesta.  Such 
maidens  were  treated  with  great  honour,  but 
they  were  not  allowed  to  marry. 

"  So  the  people  were  very  angry  when  the 
young  girl  claimed  that  the  god  Mars  was  her 
husband,  and  that  the  two  baby  boys  were  his 
and  her  children.  So  the  poor  girl  was  buried 
alive,  while  the  helpless  babies  were  put  in  a 
trough  and  set  afloat  on  the  river  Tiber." 

"  Poor  little  things  !  Were  they  drowned  ?  " 
asked  Beppo. 

"  No,  for  if  they  had  been,  there  would  be 
no  more  story  to  tell,"  said  Mr.  Gray. 

"  It  happened  that  the  river  was  very  high 
at  that  time  and  had  overflowed  its  banks, 
just  as  it  sometimes  does  nowadays.  The 
water  settled  down  soon  afterward  and  the  two 
boys  were  left  high  and  dry  on  the  bank. 

"  And  now  what  do  you  suppose  came 
along  and  saw  the  children  ?  " 

"  Some  bad  men,"  answered  Arthur. 


The  Twins  97 

"  The  boys'  mother,  who  had  escaped  from 
her  grave,"  guessed  Beppo. 

"  No.  It  was  a  mother  wolf,  who  carried 
them  home  to  her  lair  and  fondled  and  nursed 
them,"  was  the  answer. 

"  After  a  while  a  shepherd  discovered  the 
babies  with  their  adopted  mother.  He  was 
a  good  man,  with  a  kind  heart,  and  took  them 
home  to  his  wife.  She  gave  them  the  names 
Romulus  and  Remus,  and  brought  them  up  to 
be  shepherds  like  her  husband." 

"  Oh,  father,  do  you  suppose  all  this  was 
really  true  ? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  No  more  than  the  story  of  iEneas.  I 
think  it  is  a  legend  handed  down  by  the 
people  for  thousands  of  years.  But  listen, 
for  I  have  not  finished,  and  it  spoils  the  story 
to  be  all  the  time  wondering  whether  it  is  true 
or  not. 

"  When  the  twin  brothers  grew  up,  they 
fought  in   a   battle   that   took    place   between 


98       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

the  shepherds  of  the  boys'  grandfather,  who 
ought  to  have  been  king,  and  those  of  the 
wrongful  ruler  of  the  country. 

"  Romulus  and  Remus  did  such  brave 
deeds  that  they  were  noticed  and  taken  before 
their  grandfather.  After  many  questions,  he 
discovered  who  they  really  were.  They  gath- 
ered an  army  together,  and  marching  out  to 
battle,  seized  the  country  in  their  grandfather's 
name. 

"  They  must  build  a  city  now  for  them- 
selves, they  thought.  They  looked  over  the 
seven  hills  on  which  Rome  now  stands.  They 
said  the  city  must  be  on  one  of  these  hills,  but 
which  hill  should  it  be  ?  Romulus  chose  one, 
and  Remus  another.  They  could  not  agree. 
Their  grandfather  said,  c  Watch  for  a  sign  from 
the  gods.'  So  Romulus  took  his  place  on  the 
hill  he  had  chosen,  and  Remus  on  his. 

"  Remus  was  the  first  to  see  any  sign  from 
heaven.       It   was    six   vultures    flying.       But 


The  Twins  99 

Romulus  soon  saw  twelve  of  these  birds,  and 
so  the  right  was  given  him  to  found  the  city 
on  the  Palatine  Hill.  The  people  chose  him 
king. 

"  But  Remus  was  angry.  He  thought  he 
should  have  been  given  the  right  to  found  the 
city,  as  he  had  been  the  first  to  see  birds. 

"  As  the  mud  walls  were  being  built  around 
the  place  where  the  city  was  to  stand,  he  leaped 
over  them  in  scorn.  His  brother  looked  upon 
this  as  an  insult,  and  killed  him  on  the  spot, 
saying,  f  Every  one  who  leaps  over  the  walls 
of  my  city  shall  perish  even  as  you  do.' 

"  After  this  sad  deed  the  work  went  on. 
Romulus  marked  out  his  city  in  the  shape 
of  a  square.  It  is  said  that  he  did  this  with  a 
plough.     He  said,  '  I  will  call  my  city  Rome.' 

"  He  lived  here  in  a  hut  made  of  mud,  with 
a  thatched  roof. 

"  That  was  the  beginning  of  this  wonderful 
city,  so  the  people  will  tell  you." 


ioo       Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

Tessa  nodded  her  head;  she  and  Beppo  had 
heard  the  story  before,  and  fully  believed  it  to 
be  true. 

"  How  long  ago  do  they  say  all  this  hap- 
pened, father  ?  "  asked   Lucy. 

"  They  claim  that  Rome  was  built  753 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  If  it  is  now 
1,903  years  since  his  birth,  how  many  years 
old  is  Rome  ?  " 

"Let  me  see:  753  and  1,903  are  2,656. 
It  was  2,656  years  ago.  Whew  !  what  a  long 
time,"  said  Arthur.  "  Many  things  have  hap- 
pened since  then." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


THE    CARNIVAL 


It  was  now  February.  Tessa  and  Beppo 
had  been  home  for  several  weeks.  The  baby- 
was  growing  fast ;  the  mother  was  strong  again 
and  rosy ;  while  the  extra  money  which  the 
children  had  earned  as  models  for  Mr.  Gray 
had  made  the  family  very  comfortable. 

"  How  would  you  like  to  go  to  the  carni- 
val ?  "  the  father  asked. 

The  family  were  gathered  around  the  table 
where  the  dish  of  polenta  had  just  been  placed. 
Polenta,  you  must  know,  is  a  kind  of  porridge 
made  of  corn  (maize)  meal.  It  was  the  only 
food  the  children  would  have  for  supper  that 
night.  But  that  did  not  seem  to  trouble  them. 
They  all  looked  happy,  even  before  they  heard 
the  word  carnival. 


102      Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

But  this  had  a  wonderful  effect.  Tessa 
jumped  up,  caught  the  baby  out  of  his  cradle, 
and  began  to  dance  about  the  room.  Beppo 
seized  his  violin  and  started  a  lively  air.  Their 
mother  began  to  laugh,  while  little  Francesca 
looked  from  one  to  another  in  surprise.  She 
could  not  understand  what  the  sudden  excite- 
ment was  about. 

When  Tessa  had  danced  herself  nearly  out 
of  breath,  she  ran  and  put  her  arms  around  her 
father's  neck. 

"  Oh,  babbo,  babbo  !  do  you  really  mean 
it  ?  "  she  cried.  "  I  have  never  been  to  the 
carnival,  and  I  have  heard  so  much  about 
the  beautiful   festival." 

Then  her  mother  spoke.  She  blushed  like 
a  young  girl  as  she  said  to  her  husband : 

"  It  would  seem  like  old  times  before  we 
were  married,  to  go  to  the  gay  carnival 
together.  But  how  shall  we  manage  it  with 
our  family  of  four  children  ? " 


I  The  Carnival  103 

"  I  have  fixed  all  that,"  her  husband 
answered.  "  We  are  to  stay  with  your  cousin 
Lola  in  the  city.  She  will  keep  us  through 
the  week  for  a  small  sum,  as  she  says  she  has 
an  extra  room  that  she  will  be  glad  to  have 
us  use. 

"  So  get  ready,  wife,  and  look  as  fine  as  pos- 
sible in  your  new  blue  skirt  and  the  red  bodice 
below  the  white  blouse.  Do  not  forget  to 
wear  the  fringed  kerchief  on  your  pretty  head. 
It  is  the  one  I  gave  you  when  you  were  a  gay 
young  girl." 

His  wife  promised  to  make  herself  look  as 
fine  as  possible,  as  she  blushed  more  deeply 
than  ever. 

The  carnival !  The  carnival !  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  Tessa  and  her  brother  slept  but 
little  that  night,  and  that  when  they  did,  they 
dreamed  of  processions  and  bonbons  and 
clowns  and  flower-decked  wagons  and  all  sorts 
of  strange  sights  ? 


104      Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

Their  father  hired  a  donkey  from  one  of 
his  neighbours  for  Tessa  and  Francesca  to  ride 
on.  Pietro  was  to  carry  their  mother  and 
the  baby. 

When  at  last  they  were  ready  to  start,  they 
were  a  merry  sight.  Beppo  and  Tessa  had 
gathered  quantities  of  wild  flowers  to  use  at 
the  carnival,  so  that  Tessa  and  her  mother 
looked  as  though  they  were  in  the  middle  of 
travelling  gardens. 

"  If  these  give  out,"  Beppo  had  told  his 
sister,  "  we  can  go  over  to  the  Coliseum  and 
get  wallflowers  and  some  other  pretty  blos- 
soms that  grow  in  the  crevices  of  the  walls. 
They  must  be  in  bloom  by  this  time.  We 
must  throw  many  a  bouquet  to  Lucy  and  her 
brother." 

The  city  looked  bright  and  gay  as  the  peas- 
ant and  his  family  drew  near.  The  streets 
were  filled  with  carriages ;  the  sidewalks  were 
lined   with    people ;    while    the    houses    were 


The  Carnival  105 

decked  with  bright-coloured  carpets,  mats,  and 
all  sorts  of  hangings. 

Merry  parties  had  already  seated  themselves 
in  the  balconies,  for  it  was  one  o'clock  on  the 
first  day  of  the  carnival. 

What  does  this  word  "  carnival "  mean  ? 
you  ask.  It  is  another  name  for  "  farewell 
to  meat,"  and  the  great  festival  of  Italy  is 
always  held  during  the  week  before  the  begin- 
ning of  Lent.  All  the  days  except  Sunday 
and  Friday  are  given  up  to  merrymaking, 
which  grows  more  and  more  lively  until 
the  last  night. 

The  children  go  to  bed  and  get  up  when- 
ever they  like.  There  is  no  scolding,  no  cross 
word ;  and  even  if  the  sport  becomes  very 
rough,  every  one  takes  it  with    good  nature. 

Tessa  and  Beppo  went  with  the  rest  of  the 
family  to  their  cousin's  home  on  the  ground 
floor  of  a  tall  stone  building.  But  they  rested 
only  a  few  moments. 


106      Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  Take  the  donkeys,  children,  and  ride  off 
to  see  the  sights,"  said  their  father.  "Your 
mother  and  I  will  stay  and  talk  with  our 
friends  awhile  before  we  go  out." 

They  did  not  need  to  be  told  twice,  and 
were  soon  in  the  midst  of  a  merry  crowd  on 
the  Corso,  as  one  of  the  principal  streets  of 
Rome  is  called. 

"  Look,  look,  Beppo,"  said  Tessa.  "  Do 
see  that  wagon  full  of  clowns  and  queerly 
dressed  people.  They  are  having  great  sport. 
They  are  pelting  every  one  with  confetti.  We 
shall  get  hit  if  we  don't  take  care." 

"  We'll  get  some  confetti  ourselves,"  an- 
swered Beppo.  "  We  must  not  wait  any 
longer." 

The  two  children  stopped  their  donkeys 
in  front  of  a  stand  covered  with  tiny  lime- 
balls.  Perhaps  you  would  call  them  plaster 
candies.  They  were  no  larger  than  peas, 
and  looked  nice  enough  to  eat. 


.•- 


. 


-/; 


"  WERE    SOON    IN    THE    MIDST    OF    A    MERRY    CROWD 


The  Carnival  107 

"  Now  for  fun,"  said  Beppo,  when  each  had 
purchased  a  big  bag  of  confetti. 

At  this  moment,  some  boys,  who  were  close 
behind,  gave  Pietro's  tail  a  sudden  pull  and 
Tessa  fell  forward  as  he  jumped  about.  Before 
she  could  get  up,  she  felt  a  shower  of  confetti 
falling  over  her  neck  and  shoulders. 

A  loud  laugh  went  up  from  the  bystanders. 
Tessa  laughed,  too,  as  she  brushed  the  pow- 
dery balls  to  right  and  left. 

A  moment  after,  another  shower  came  fall- 
ing about  her.  But  this  time  it  was  made  of 
sugar  almonds,  which  a  little  girl  was  scattering 
from  a  balcony.  She  must  have  liked  Tessa's 
pretty  face  and  wished  to  give  her  a  treat. 

There  was  a  great  scrambling  for  the  candy. 
The  mischievous  boys  who  had  thrown  the 
confetti  got  most  of  it,  I  fear,  but  Tessa 
enjoyed  it,  nevertheless. 

"  Look  at  the  lovely  carriage  ahead  of  us," 
she  cried.     "  It  is   lined  with  white.     Aren't 


108      Our  Little   Italian  Cousin 

the  ladies  in  it  pretty,  Beppo  ?  That  seat  in 
front  of  them  is  just  loaded  with  bouquets  and 
confetti.  They  are  standing  up  now  to  throw 
better." 

Beppo  didn't  care  for  this  half  as  much  as 
for  the  wagon-loads  of  people  dressed  in  bright 
colours  and  wearing  masks. 

"  Look  at  that  man,  Tessa,  before  he  is  out 
of  sight.  Yes,  it  must  be  a  man,  though  he 
is  dressed  like  a  woman.  See  his  false  curls 
hanging  down  under  the  bonnet,  and  hear  him 
talk.  He  keeps  every  one  around  him  laugh- 
ing. Let's  put  on  our  masks  and  then  ride 
past  Lucy's  house.  She  won't  know  us  if  she 
sees  us." 

Beppo  had  made  some  rude  masks  be- 
fore the  children  left  home.  After  they  had 
put  them  on,  they  felt  sure  no  one  would 
know  them  as  they  rode  through  the  lively 
crowd. 

"  Look   up  at  the  second    balcony,"  whis- 


The  Carnival  109 

pered  Tessa,  as  she  came  up  close  to  her 
brother's  side.  "  There  are  Lucy  and  Arthur 
with  their  father  and  mother,  in  the  midst  of  a 
merry  party.  We  might  have  known  they 
would  be  here  on  the  Corso." 

"  Do  you  see  what  Arthur  is  doing  ? " 
replied  Beppo.  "  He  has  a  bouquet  of 
flowers  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  long  string. 
And  now  he  is  dangling  it  over  the  rail. 
Just  see  that  lady  in  the  balcony  below 
reaching  out  to  get  it.  She  thinks  it  is  being 
thrown  to  her.  How  surprised  she  is  when 
it  comes  up  again  out  of  her  reach.  Oh, 
what  sport ! 

"  But  watch,  Tessa.  I  am  going  to  throw 
my  prettiest  bunch  of  flowers  to  Lucy.  Ah  ! 
she  looks  like  an  angel  to-day.  She  is  all 
in  white." 

Beppo  took  a  bouquet  of  roses  and  tossed 
them  straight  up  into  his  little  friend's  lap. 
She  was   looking  directly   toward    him  as  he 


no     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

threw  them.  She  began  to  laugh,  and,  lifting 
them  in  her  hands,  turned  to  her  father  and 
said  something. 

"  She  is  asking  him  who  we  are,"  said 
Beppo.  "  She  will  never  guess,  for  she  does 
not  expect  to  see  us  at  the  carnival." 

Tessa  and  her  brother  now  moved  onward, 
but  not  before  they  were  covered  with  a 
shower  of  candy.  It  was  Lucy's  return  for 
her  flowers. 

A  little  before  sunset  the  two  country  chil- 
dren went  back  to  their  cousin's.  They  found 
their  father  and  mother  all  ready  to  go  out  to 
see  the  races. 

"  What  an  odd-looking  child  you  are, 
Tessa.  And  you,  too,  Beppo,"  said  their 
mother.  For  they  were  fairly  covered  with 
white  dust. 

"  Never  mind,"  laughed  Beppo.  "  You 
will  look  like  that  to-morrow,  mother,  if  you 
stay  outdoors   long  enough.      I   really  think 


The  Carnival  in 

that  hundreds  of  bushels  of  confetti  have  been 
thrown  about  the  streets  to-day.  We  have 
received  our  share  of  them,  without  doubt." 

"  Come,  come,  not  a  moment  to  lose  now," 
said  the  father,  "  or  we  shall  be  too  late  to  see 
the  sport." 

The  good-natured  cousin  said  she  would 
look  after  the  baby,  while  Francesca  rode  off 
down  the  street  on  her  father's  shoulder. 
The  donkeys  had  been  put  in  the  stable  for 
their  night's  rest. 

The  party  soon  reached  the  Corso,  which 
had  been  cleared  of  carriages.  Both  sides  were 
lined  by  an  ever-growing  crowd. 

Just  at  sunset  a  gun  was  fired.  Instantly  a 
number  of  beautiful  horses  were  freed.  They 
wore  fine  trappings  and  were  without  riders  or 
drivers.  Down  the  Corso  they  raced  from  one 
end  to  the  other.  It  seemed  as  though  they 
passed  by  like  lightning. 

"  Good,  good,"  shouted  Beppo,  as  the  first 


ii2      Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

horse  reached  the  goal.  This  one  was  the 
winner  of  the  race,  of  course. 

"  We  can  see  this  sport  every  night  of  the  car- 
nival," his  father  told  him,  as  they  walked  slowly 
homeward,  looking  at  the  sights  on  the  way. 

Early  the  next  morning  Tessa  and  Beppo 
started  off  on  their  donkeys  once  more.  They 
did  not  wish  to  lose  a  moment  of  the  day's 
fun.  They  had  many  a  mock  battle  with  the 
children  whom  they  met,  but  the  fighting  was 
all  good-natured,  and  the  only  weapons  used 
were  handfuls  of  confetti. 

In  the  afternoon  they  found  themselves  near 
Arthur  and  Lucy,  who  were  in  an  open  car- 
riage. They  did  not  have  their  masks  on,  so 
their  friends  spied  them  out  very  quickly. 
They  were  very  glad  to  see  each  other,  but  the 
crowd  was  so  great  they  did  not  have  a  chance 
to  say  much. 

"Tessa,"  whispered  Lucy,  "father  has 
something    to    ask   your    parents.       He   was 


The  Carnival  113 

going  to  write  to  them  if  he  did  not  see  them 
before  the  end  of  the  carnival.  Be  sure  to 
tell  them.     It  is  about  you." 

That  was  all  she  had  a  chance  to  say  before 
the  driver  started  up  the  horses  and  she  had 
passed  on.  Tessa  wondered  what  it  could  be 
about,  but  her  mind  was  soon  busy  with  the 
gay  sights,  and  she  forgot  all  about  it  till  she 
reached  home. 

The  last  night  of  the  carnival  was  the  gayest 
time  of  all.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  Tessa 
went  with  her  father  and  mother  and  Beppo 
out  into  the  streets.  Every  one  carried  a  torch 
and  tried  to  keep  it  lighted.  At  the  same  time 
he  must  try  to  put  out  as  many  other  torches 
as  possible. 

How  the  lights  danced  up  and  down  the 
streets  !  What  a  puffing  and  blowing  there 
was  all  the  time.  Tessa  no  sooner  got  her 
torch  lighted  than  some  one  came  up  from 
behind   and   put   it    out.      Then    she    would 


ii4     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

cry,  "  Senza  moccolo,  senza  moccolo."     That 
means,  "  Without  light,  without  light." 

After  a  while,  Beppo  fastened  his  torch  to 
the  end  of  a  long  pole.  He  thought  he  was 
safe  at  last.  But,  no !  a  moment  afterward 
some  one  came  along  with  a  pole  longer  than 
his  own  and  dashed  it  down.  The  fun  was 
all  the  greater  for  such  little  things  as  this. 

The  city  looked  wonderfully  pretty  with 
the  lights  dancing  about  the  windows  and 
balconies  and  streets. 

After  an  hour  or  two  the  crowds  began  to 
thin  out.  Every  one  was  tired.  Tessa  and 
Beppo  turned  homeward  with  their  father 
and  mother,  calling  out : 

"  The  carnival  is  dead.  The  carnival  is 
dead." 

Soon  afterward  they  tumbled  into  bed,  half 
asleep,  still  repeating  the  words  they  heard 
echoing  through  the  streets : 

"  The  carnival  is  dead  !  " 


CHAPTER   IX. 


THE    BURIED    CITY 


"  We  should  like  to  take  your  little  daugh- 
ter with  us  on  a  journey,"  said  Mr.  Gray  to 
Tessa's  father. 

The  two  men  were  standing  in  the  doorway 
of  the  artist's  home  on  the  Monday  after  the 
carnival.  Tessa  had  not  forgotten  to  tell  her 
father  that  Mr.  Gray  wished  to  see  him. 

"  We  shall  be  gone  only  a  few  days.  We 
are  going  to  take  a  short  trip  to  Naples,"  the 
artist  went  on.  "  But  Lucy  wishes  Tessa's 
company  very  much,  and  I  think  your  little 
girl  would  enjoy  it.     What  do  you  say  ?  " 

The  peasant  was  greatly  pleased.  His  face 
beamed,  as  he  replied : 

"  You  are  a  good  friend  to  us,  Mr.  Gray. 
"5 


Ii6     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

We  can  never  forget  it.  What  shall  we  do 
when  you  go  back  to  America  ? " 

"  That  time  will  not  come  for  two  years  yet. 
In  the  meanwhile,  talk  with  your  wife.  If  she 
is  willing,  bring  Tessa  here  Tuesday  morning. 
We  shall  leave  on  the  afternoon  of  that  day." 

You  can  imagine  how  excited  our  little 
Italian  cousin  was,  when  she  found  herself 
riding  on  a  train  for  the  first  time.  The  cars 
were  much  smaller  than  we  use  here  in  Amer- 
ica. It  would  have  seemed  odd  to  you  to 
have  the  conductor  (or  the  guard,  as  he  is 
called  in  Europe)  lock  the  doors  when  the 
train  is  about  to  start. 

"  We  are  prisoners,"  laughed  Lucy.  "  We 
can't  get  out  now,  even  if  we  should  wish  to 
do  so  ever  so  much." 

She  was  now  able  to  chatter  in  Italian  almost 
as  fast  as  in  her  own  English  tongue. 

"  That  is  because  of  her  acquaintance  with 
Tessa  and  her  brother,"   Mr.    Gray   told  his 


The  Buried  City  117 

wife.  "  Those  children  surprise  me  by  the 
good  Italian  they  speak,  when  they  have  had 
so  little  schooling.  Although  their  parents  are 
peasants,  they  are  gentle  people  in  their  nature. 
And  that  is  more  than  learning,  after  all." 

The  children  were  delighted  with  Naples. 
The  city  rests  on  the  shore  of  what  some 
people  consider  the  most  beautiful  bay  in 
the  world.  Everything  about  it  looked  clean 
and  orderly,  although  a  few  years  ago  it  was 
a  very  filthy  city. 

No  one  seemed  in  a  hurry.  Even  the 
beggars,  who  came  to  meet  the  children  with 
hands  stretched  out  for  alms,  looked  lazy  and 
happy. 

There  were  beautiful  gardens  to  walk  in,  and 
fine  buildings  to  visit,  besides  rowing  and  sail- 
ing on  the  blue  waters  of  the  bay.  There  was 
plenty  to  see,  but  best  of  all  was  the  morning 
the  children  spent  in  the  museum,  where  there 
was  a  large  collection  of  curiosities. 


n8     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  They  all  came  from  the  buried  city,"  Mr. 
Gray  explained. 

"  Think  of  it,  children !  These  beautiful 
ornaments,  vases,  and  bronzes,  were  hidden 
under  the  ashes  for  eighteen  hundred  years. 
One  day  it  was  discovered  by  some  workman 
that  he  was  digging  into  the  ruins  of  a  build- 
ing. Others  came  to  help  him,  and  by  and 
by  they  found  a  city  beneath  the  ashes  and 
soil  which  had  formed  above  it." 

"You  are  going  to  take  us  to  see  the  city 
before  we  go  back  to  Rome,  aren't  you, 
father?"  asked  Arthur. 

"  Certainly  ;  I  would  not  have  you  miss  the 
sight  for  a  good  deal.  But  does  Tessa  know 
its  name  ? " 

"  O  yes,  it  is  Pompeii.  I  have  heard  much 
about  it,"  the  little  Italian  answered.  "  It  is 
another  of  the  wonderful  sights  in  my  country 
of  which  I  am  so  proud." 

The  children  passed  slowly  from  one  part  of 


The  Buried  City  119 

the  museum  to  another.  They  examined  the 
almonds,  dates,  and  figs,  which  had  been  pre- 
served so  long.  Some  of  them  looked  quite 
natural.  There  was  a  lady's  toilet  set  that  in- 
terested the  girls  very  much. 

There  were  blackened  loaves  of  bread  and 
cake  from  the  baker's  oven ;  there  were  beauti- 
ful lamps  and  golden  jewelry,  —  all  these 
things  made  for  people  suddenly  overtaken  by 
death  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago ! 

It  was  hard  to  leave  the  museum. 

"  But  there  are  other  things  to  see  yet,  and 
we  cannot  spend  too  much  time  in  one  place," 
Mr.  Gray  told  them  as  they  walked  home- 
ward. 

They  stopped  to  buy  some  luscious  yellow 
oranges  and  some  ornaments  of  coral  and  lava 
at  stands  by  the  side  of  the  street. 

That  very  evening  ponies  were  brought  to 
the  hotel  door,  and  the  party  started  out  to 
climb  the  side  of  Vesuvius. 


120     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

"  I  shouldn't  think  the  people  of  Naples 
would  feel  safe  to  live  so  near  a  volcano,"  said 
Lucy.  "  Now  that  it  is  active  again,  it  must 
make  them  think  of  the  way  Pompeii  was 
destroyed.  *  And  Pompeii  is  several  miles 
away,  isn't  it,  father  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  was  no  more  thought  of  danger 
at  that  time  than  we  feel  to-night.  Perhaps 
not  so  much,"  he  added,  as  he  looked  toward 
his  wife. 

She  was  a  little  pale  and  was  feeling  more 
timid  than  she  liked  to  say.  Up  above  them, 
even  now,  they  could  see  the  sky  lighted  up 
by  the  red  flame.  It  looked  as  though  a  city 
must  be  on  fire.  The  path  wound  in  a  round- 
about way,  but  was  always  rising  and  was  in 
some  places  very  steep  and  rocky. 

"  See  that  red  stream  of  lava  pouring  down 
the  side  of  the  mountain,"  said  Arthur. 

It  was  not  so  far  away  but  that  the  children 
could  see  men  at  work  beside  it.     They  were 


The  Buried  City  121 

scooping  the  lava  up  into  vessels.  It  would 
be  taken  down  to  Naples  and  made  into 
jewelry  and  ornaments  to  be  sold  to  visitors 
in  the  city. 

After  two  miles  or  more  of  hard  climbing, 
they  reached  the  side  of  the  crater. 

"  Don't  go  too  near.  Oh,  do  be  careful, 
children,"  cried  Mrs.  Gray.  She  was  trem- 
bling as  she  looked  at  the  red-hot  stones  flying 
upward  in  the  midst  of  the  cinders  and  flames. 

"  Listen,  do  listen,  mother.  It  is  grand  !  " 
said  Lucy,  as  they  could  now  hear  the  roaring 
and  grumbling,  the  pounding  and  hammering 
under  ground.  It  was  as  though  some  terrible 
being  was  an  angry  prisoner  in  the  volcano  and 
was  trying  to  free  himself. 

Tessa  clung  to  Mrs.  Gray's  skirt  at  first. 
She  was  frightened,  too,  and  it  was  no  wonder. 
But  after  a  few  moments  both  she  and  her 
kind  friend  had  got  over  their  fright  and  had 
begun  to  enjoy  the  strange  sight. 


122     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

When  at  last  Mrs.  Gray  said  it  was  time  to 
go,  they  all  felt  sorry. 

The  drive  down  the  mountain  was  quite 
easy.  When  they  reached  the  hotel  the  chil- 
dren went  straight  to  bed  to  dream  of  the 
pleasure  to-morrow,  —  for  they  were  to  visit 
the  buried  city,  Pompeii. 

The  next  day  was  bright  and  clear. 
Although  every  one  felt  a  little  tired  after  the 
excitement  of  the  night  before,  they  were  all 
ready  for  the  day's  trip. 

It  was  a  strange  place,  this  city  with  no  one 
living  in  it.  There  were  streets  all  laid  out 
and  the  walls  of  houses  standing.  The  roofs 
were  gone,  however. 

Mr.  Gray  explained  to  the  children  that  the 
city  was  buried  under  the  terrible  shower  of 
ashes  which  settled  down  over  it.  The  roofs 
had  been  burnt  or  broken  down  by  the  weight 
above  them.  After  a  while,  soil  formed  above 
the  ashes,  grass  began  to  grow,  and  the  rest  of 


IT    WAS    A    STRANGE    PLACE 


The  Buried  City  123 

the  world  forgot  about  the  city,  once  so  beauti- 
ful, with  its  stately  palaces  and  grand  buildings. 

Most  of  the  people  had  time  to  flee  before 
their  homes  were  destroyed.  But  some  of 
them  stayed  too  long.  Their  skeletons  were 
found  when  the  city  was  unearthed. 

The  children  went  into  a  cellar  where  there 
were  marks  on  the  walls.  The  guide  told  them 
that  these  showed  where  people  were  pressed 
against  them.  They  must  have  fled  to  that 
place  for  safety,  but  it  had  been  of  no  use. 
They  stood  here  prisoners  until  kind  death 
freed  them  from  their  suffering. 

They  saw  many  marble  ornaments.  There 
were  ducks  and  geese,  rabbits  and  lambs,  made 
long  ago. 

"All  this  makes  me  feel  queer,  Lucy," 
whispered  Tessa.  "  I  will  be  glad  to  get  back 
to  a  live  city  again."  Lucy  felt  so,  too.  It 
was  interesting,  of  course,  but  it  was  very 
strange. 


124     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 

After  the  visit  to  Pompeii,  Mr.  Gray  told 
the  children  that  his  vacation  was  over  and 
they  must  all  go   back  to   Rome. 

"  But  we  will  not  return  by  train,"  he  said. 
"  We  will  take  a  sailing  vessel,  as  I  think  you 
will  enjoy  a  trip  on  the  water." 

They  did  enjoy  it  greatly.  The  only 
trouble   was   that  it   seemed   too   short. 

"  When  June  comes  it  will  be  quite  hot  in 
Rome,  you  know,"  Lucy  said  to  Tessa.  The 
two  girls  were  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  looking 
over  the  edge  into  the  water  below. 

"  We  are  going  then  on  a  journey  to  the 
north  of  Italy,  and  you  are  to  come,  too, 
Tessa.  Father  says  so.  We  will  visit  Venice 
and  sail  in  boats  through  its  streets.  It  seems 
as  though  I  could  hardly  wait  for  the  time 
to  come.  Just  think  of  a  great  city  built 
on  little  islands,  and  when  you  go  to  the  door 
of  your  house  you  find  yourself  on  the  water's 
edge.     It  must  be  lovely." 


The  Buried  City  125 

"  Tessa,"  she  went  on,  putting  her  arm 
around  the  little  Italian's  waist,  "father  says 
that  he  is  going  to  manage  next  winter  so  that 
you  shall  stay  with  us  and  we  can  have  lessons 
together  with  my  governess." 

Tessa  bent  forward  and  kissed  both  of 
Lucy's  hands.  She  was  so  happy  she  could 
not  speak. 


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Fathers  and  Mothers  as  Well  as  for  Their 
Daughters. 

KEEPING  TRYST 

THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  BLEEDING  HEART 

THE  RESCUE  OF  PRINCESS  WINSOME:     A 

Fairy  Play  for  Old  and  Young. 

THE  JESTER'S  SWORD 

Each  one  volume,  tall  16mo,  cloth  decorative  .      $0.50 

Paper  boards .35 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  for  publication  in 
separate  form  of  these  six  stories,  which  were  originally 
included  in  six  of  the  "  Little  Colonel  "  books. 

JOEL :    A  BOY  OF  GALILEE :  By  Annie  Fellows 
Johnston.     Illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman. 
New  illustrated  edition,  uniform  with  the  Little  Colonel 
Books,  1  vol.,  large  12mo,  cloth  decorative       .      $1.50 
A  story  of  the  time  of  Christ,  which  is  one  of  the  author's 

best-known  books. 

A— 2 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  GOOD  TIMES  BOOK 

uniform  in  size  with  the  Little  Colonel  Series.  $1.50 

Bound  in  white  kid  (morocco)  and  gold       .        .        3.00 
Cover  design  and  decorations  by  Amy  Carol  Rand. 
The  publishers  have  had  many  inquiries  from  readers 
of  the  Little  Colonel  books  as  to  where  they  could  obtain 
a  "  Good  Times  Book  "  such  as  Betty  kept.    Mrs.  Johns- 
ton, who  has  for  years  kept  such  a  book  herself,  has  gone 
enthusiastically  into  the  matter  of  the  material  and  format 
for  a  similar  book  for  her  young  readers.     Every  girl  will 
want  to  possess  a  "  Good  Times  Book." 
ASA  HOLMES:   Or,  At  the  Cross-Roads.    A  sketch 
of   Country   Life    and   Country  Humor.     By  Annie 
Fellows  Johnston. 
With  a  frontispiece  by  Ernest  Fosbery. 

Large  16mo,  cloth,  gilt  top $1.00 

"  '  Asa  Holmes;   or,  At  the  Cross-Roads  '  is  the  most 
delightful,  most  sympathetic  and  wholesome  book  that 
has  been  published  in  a  long  while."  —  Boston  Times. 
THE  RIVAL  CAMPERS:  Or,  The  Adventures  of 
Henry  Burns.     By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 
Squ&re  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
A  story  of  a  party  of  typical  American  lads,  courageous, 
srtert,  and  athletic,  who  spend  a  summer  camping  on  an 
island  off  the  Maine  coast. 

THE    RIVAL    CAMPERS    AFLOAT:       Or,  The 
Prize  Yacht  Viking.     By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
This  book  is  a  continuation  of  the  adventures  of  "  The 
Rival  Campers  "  on  their  prize  yacht  Viking. 

THE  RIVAL  CAMPERS  ASHORE 

By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .      $1.50 

"  As  interesting  ashore  as  when  afloajt."  —  The  Interior. 

JACK  HARVEY'S  ADVENTURES:  Or,  The 
Rival  Campers  Among  the  Oyster  Pirates.  By 
Ruel  Perley  Smith.    Illustrated  .        .      $1.50 

"  Just  the  type  of  book  which  is  most  popular  with  lads 

who  are  in  their  early  teens."  —  The  Philadelphia  Item, 

A— 3 


L.  C.  PAGE  fr  COMPANY'S 


PRISONERS  OF  FORTUNE :    A  Tale  of  the  Mas- 

sachusetts  Bay  Colony.     By  Ruel  Perley  Smith. 

Cloth  decorative,  with  a  colored  frontispiece     .      $1.50 

"  There  is  an  atmosphere  of  eld  New  England  in  the 

book,  thv  '~umor  of  the  born  raconteur  about  the  hero, 

who  tells  his  story  with  the  gravity  of  a  preacher,  but  with 

a  solemn  humor  that  is  irresistible."  —  Courier- J  our  rial. 

FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS.   By  Charles  H. 

L.  Johnston. 

Large  12mo.     With  24  illustrations     .       .        .      $1.50 

Biographical  sketches,  witb  interesting  anecdotes  and 
reminiscences  of  the  heroes  of  history  who  were  leaders 
of  cavalry. 

"  More  of  such  books  should  be  written,  books  that 
acquaint  young  readers  with  historical  personages  in  a 
pleasant  informal  way."  —  N.  Y.  Sun. 

FAMOUS  INDIAN  CHIEFS.       By  Charles  H.  L. 
Johnston. 

Large  12mo,  illustrated  .  ...      $1.50 

In  this  book  Mr.  Johnston  gives  interesting  sketches  of 
the  Indian  braves  who  have  figured  with  prominence  in 
the  history  of  our  own  land,  including  Powhatan,  the 
Indian  Caesar;  Massaooit,  the  friend  of  the  Puritans; 
Pontiac,  the  red  Napoleon;  Tecumseh,  the  famous  war 
chief  of  the  Shawn ees;  Sitting  Bull,  the  famous  war  chief 
of  the  Sioux;  Geronimo,  the  renowned  Apache  Chief,  etc 
etc. 

BILLY'S  PRINCESS.    By  Helen  Eggleston  Has- 

KELL. 

Cloth    decorative,    illustrated    by    Helen    McCormick 

Kennedy $1.25 

Billy  Lewis  was  a  small  boy  oi  energy  and  ambition,  so 

when  he  was  left  alone  and  unprotected,  he  simply  started 

out  to  take  care  of  himself. 

TENANTS     OF     THE     TREES.      By    Clarencb 

Hawkes. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  in  colors  .        .      $1.50 

"  A  book  which  will  appeal  to  all  who  care  for  the 
hearty,  healthy,  outdoor  life  of  the  country.     Th«  illus- 
trations are  particularly  attractive."  —  Boston  hvald, 
A-4 


BOOKS  FCR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 

r 

BEAUTIFUL  JOE'S  PARADISE:  Or,  The  I«u^nd 
of  Brotherly  Love.     A  sequel  to  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
By  Marshall  Saunders,  author  of  "  Beautif u  l  Joe." 
One  vol.,  library  12mo,  cloth,  illustrated   .        .      $1.50 
"  This  book  revives  the  spirit  of  '  Beautiful  i  e  '  capi- 
tally.   It  is  fairly  riotous  with  fun,  and  is  about  as  unusual 
as  anything  in  the  animal  book  line  that  has  seen  the  light." 
—  Philadelphia  Item. 

'TILDA  JANE.     Ey  Marshall  Saunders. 

One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1 .50 
"  I  cannot  think  of  any  better  book  for  children  than 

this.     I  commend  it  unresen  edly."  —  Cyrus  Townsend 

Brady. 


♦TILDA  JANE'S  ORPHANS.     A  sequel  to  'Tilda 
Jane.    By  Marshall  Saunders. 

One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
'Tilda  Jane  is  the  same  original,  delightful  girl,  and  as 

fond  of  her  animal  pets  as  ever. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  GRAVELEYS,     By  Mar- 
shall   Saunders,    author  of    "  Beautiful  Joe's  Para- 
dise," "  'Tilda  Jane,"  etc. 
Library  12mo,  cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  E.  B. 

Barry $1.50 

Here  we  have  the  haps  and  mishaps,  the  trials  and 
triumphs,  of  a  delightful  New  England  family,  of  whose 
devotion  and  sturdiness  it  will  do  +,he  reader  good  to  hear. 

BORN  TO  THE  BLUE.      By    Florence    Kimball 

RUSSEL. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.25 

The  atmosphere  of  army  life  on  the  plains  breathes  on 

every  page  of  this  delightful  tale.    The  boy  is  the  son  of  a 

captain  of  U.  S.  cavalry  stationed  at  a  frontier  post  in  the 

days  when  our  regulars  earned  the  gratitude  of  a  nation. 

A— 5 


L.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY'S 


IN  WEST  POINT  GRAY 

By  Florence  Kimball  Russel. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  .  $1.50 
"  Singularly  enough  one  of  the  best  books  of  -he  year 
for  boys  is  written  by  a  woman  and  deals  with  lif  at  West 
Point.  The  presentment  of  life  in  the  famous  militar  r 
academy  whence  so  many  heroes  have  graduated  is  realistic 
and  enjoyable."  —  New  York  Sun. 

FROM  CHEVRONS  TO  SHOULDER  STRAPS 

By  Florence  Kimeall  Russel. 

12mo,  cloth,  illustrated,  decorative     .        .        .      $1.50 

West  Point  again  forms  the  background  of  a  new  volume 

in  this  popular  series,  and  relates  the  experience  of  Jack 

Stirling  during  his  junior  and  senior  years. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins.    With  fifty  illustrations  by 

Ada  Clendenin  "Williamson. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover       .        .        .  $1.50 

"  An  amusing,  original  book,  written  for  the  benefit  of 
very  small  children.  It  should  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  year's  books  for  reading  to  small  children."  — 
Buffalo  Express. 

THE  SANDMAN:  MORE  FARM  STOUIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 

Mr.  Hopkins's  first  essay  at  bedtime  stories  met  with 

euch  approval  that  this  second  book  of  "  Sandman  "  tales 

was  issued  for  scores  of  eager  children.    Life  on  the  farm, 

and  out-of-doors,  is  portrayed  in  his  inimitable  manner. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  SHIP  STORLES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins,  author  of  "  The  Sandman: 
His  Farm  Stories,"  etc. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 
"  Children  call  for  these  stories  over  and  over  again."  •mmj 
Chicago  Evening  Post. 

A— 0 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  SANDMAN,  HIS  SEA  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 

Each  year  adds  to  the  popularity  of  this  unique  series 

of  stories  to  be  read  to  the  little  ones  at  bed  time  and  at 

other  times. 

THE  DOCTOR'S  LITTLE  GIRL 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggart,  author  of    "  Pussy-Cafc 

Town,"  etc. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  thoroughly  enjoyable  tale  of  a  little  girl  and  her  com- 
rade father,  written  in  a  delightful  vein  of  sympathetic 
comprehension  of  the  child's  point  of  view. 

SWEET  NANCY 

The  Further  Adventures  of  the  Doctor's  Little 

Girl.    By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

One  vol.,  library,  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

In  the  new  book,  the  author  tells  how  Nancy  becomes 
in  fact  "  the  doctor's  assistant,"  and  continues  to  shed 
happiness  around  her. 

THE  CHRISTMAS-MAKERS'  CLUB 

By  Edith  A.  Sawyer. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  delightful  story  for  girls,  full  of  the  real  spirit  of 

Christmas.     It  abounds  in  merrymaking  and  the  right 

kind  of  fun. 

CARLOTA 

A  Story  of  the  San  Gabriel  Mission.  By  Frances 
Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway  .  .  .  .  $1.00 
"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  recommend  this  little  story  as  an 

entertaining  contribution  •  to  juvenile  literature."  —  The 

New  York  Sun. 

THE  SEVEN  CHRISTMAS  CANDLES 
By  Frances  Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway  .  .  $1.00 
Miss  Fox's  new  book  deals  with  the  fortunes  of  the  d^ 

lightful  Mulvaney  children. 

A— 7 


L.  C.  PAGE  &»  COMPANY'S 


PUSSY-CAT  TOWN 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggaet. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deoo- 

rated  in  colors $1.00 

"  Anything  more  interesting  than  the  doings  of  the  cats 
in  this  story,  their  humor,  their  wisdom,  their  patriotism, 
would  be  hard  to  imagine."  —  Chicago  Post. 

THE  ROSES  OF  SAINT  ELIZABETH 

By  Jane  Scott  Woodruff. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart     .        .        .  $1 .00 

This  is  a  charming  little  story  of  a  child  whose  father  was 

caretaker  of  the  great  castle  of  the  Wartburg,  where  Saint 

Elizabeth  once  had  her  home. 

GABRIEL  AND  THE  HOUR  BOOK 

By  Evaleen  Stein. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart     .        .        .    $1.00 
Gabriel  was  a  loving,  patient,  little  French  lad,  who 
assisted  the  monks  in  the  long  ago  days,  when  all  the  books 
were  written  and  illuminated  by  hand,  in  the  monasteries. 

THE  ENCHANTED  AUTOMOBILE 

Translated  from  the  French  by  Mary  J.  Safford 
Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Edna  M.  Sawyer  .        .      $1.00 
"  An  up-to-date  French  fairy-tale  which  fairly  radiates 

the  spirit  of  the  hour,  —  unceasing  diligence."  —  Chicago 

Record-Herald. 

O-HE  ART-SAN 

The  Story  of  a  Japanese  Girl.    By  Helen  Eggles- 
ton  Haskell. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Frank  P.  Fairbanks       .        .      $1.00 
"  The  story  comes  straight  from  the  heart  of  Japan. 
The  shadow  of  Fujiyama  lies   across  it  and  from  every 
page  breathes  the  fragrance  of  tea  leaves,  cherry  blossoms 
and  chrysanthemums."  —  The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean, 

A.-8 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  YOUNG  SECTION-HAND:  Or,  The  Adven- 
tures op  Allan  West.     By  Burton  E.  Stevenson. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who  ia 
given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western  rail- 
road, and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are  thrilling. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  DISPATCHER.     By  Bub- 
ton  E.  Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .      $1.50 
"  A  better  book  for  boys  has  never  left  an  American 

press/'  —  Springfield  Union. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  MASTER.     By  Burton  E. 
Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth    decorative,  illustrated       .     $1.50 
"  Nothing  better  in  the  way  of  a  book  of  adventure  for 
boys  in  which  the  actualities  of  life  are  set  forth  in  a  practi- 
cal way  could  be  devised  or  written."  —  Boston  Herald. 

CAPTAIN  JACK  LORIMER.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .      $1.50 
Jack  is  a  fine  example  of  the  all-around  American  high- 
school  boy. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  CHAMPIONS:  Or,  Sports  on 
Land  and  Lake.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
"  It  is  exactly  the  sort  of  book  to  jive  a  boy  interested 

in  athletics,  for  it  shows  him  whatii  means  to  always 

'  play  fair.'  "  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  HOLIDAYS:     Or,  Millvale 
High  in  Camp.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Illustrated $1.50 

Full  of  just  the  kind  of  fun,  sports  and  adventure  to 
excite  the  healthy  minded  youngster  to  emulation. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  SUBSTITUTE :  Or,  The  Act- 
ing Captain  of  the  Team.     By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

On  the  sporting  side,  this  book  takes  up  football,  wres- 
tling, tobogganing,  but  it  is  more  of  a  schoo1  icory  ptrhap* 
than  any  of  its  predecessors. 
*»9 


L.  C.  PAGE  *•  COMPANY'S 


CAPTAIN  JINKS:   The  Autobiography  of  a  Shet- 

land  Pont.      By  Frances  Hodges  White. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .        .      $1.50 

The  story  of  Captain  Jinks  and  his  faithful  dog  friend 

Billy,    their    quaint    conversations    and    their    exciting 

adventures,  will  be  eagerly  read  by  thousands  of  boys  and 

girls.    The  story  is  beautifully  written  and  will  take  its 

place  alongside  of  "  Black  Beauty  "  and  "  Beautiful  Joe." 

THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  Theodore  Roberts. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  .  .  $1.50 
"  The  Red  Feathers  "  tells  of  the  remarkable  adventures 

of  an  Indian  boy  who  lived  in  the  Stone  Age,  many  years 

ago,  when  the  world  was  young. 

FLYING   PLOVER.     By  Theodore  Roberts. 

Cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull $1.00 

Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a  very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 

lives  alone  with  her  grandson,  "  Flying  Plover,"  to  whom 

she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

THE  WRECK   OF  THE  OCEAN  QUEEN.    By 

James  Otis,  author  of  "  Larry  Hudson's  Ambition,"  etc. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .  $1.50 

"  A  stirring  story  of  wreck  and  mutiny,  which  boys  will 
find  especially  absorbing.  The  many  young  admirers  of 
James  Otis  will  not  let  this  book  escape  them,  for  it  fully 
equals  its  many  predecessors  in  excitement  and  sustained 
interest."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 

LITTLE  WHITE  INDIANS.      By  Fannie  E.  Os- 

TRANDER. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .  $1.25 

"  A  bright,  interesting  story  which  will  appeal  strongly 

to  the     '  make-believe '     instinct   in   children,    and   will 

give  them  a  healthy,  active  interest  in  'the  simple  life.'" 

MARCHING    WITH    MORGAN.       How    Donald 

Lovell   Became    a  Soldier  op    the  Revolution. 

By  John  L.  Veasy. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....      $1.50 

This  is  a  splendid  boy's  story  of  the  expedition  of 
Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec. 
A— 10 


BOOKS  FOR   YOUNG  PEOPLE 

~COSY  CORNER  SERIES 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  that  this  series  shall 
contain  only  the  very  highest  and  purest  literature,  — 
stories  that  shall  not  only  appeal  to  the  children  them- 
selves, but  be  appreciated  by  all  those  who  feel  with 
them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows. 

The  numerous  illustrations  in  each  book  are  by  well- 
known  artists,  and  each  volume  has  a  separate  attract- 
ive cover  design. 

Each  1  vol.,  16mo,  cloth $0.30 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 

THE   LITTLE   COLONEL      (Trade  Mark.) 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Kentucky.  Its  hero- 
ine is  a  small  girl,  who  is  known  as  the  Little  Colonel, 
on  account  of  her  fancied  resemblance  to  an  old-school 
Southern  gentleman,  whose  fine  estate  and  old  family 
are  famous  in  the  region. 

THE  GIANT  SCISSORS 

This  is  the  story  of  Joyce  and  of  her  adventures  in 
France.  Joyce  is  a  great  friend  of  the  Little  Colonel, 
and  in  later  volumes  shares  with  her  the  delightful  ex- 
periences of  the  "  House  Party  "  and  the  "  Holidays." 

TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY 

Who  Were  the  Little  Colonel's  Neighbors. 

In  this  volume  the  Little  Colonel  returns  to  us  like  an 
old  friend,  but  with  added  grace  and  charm.  She  is  not, 
however,  the  central  figure  of  the  story,  that  place  being 
taken  by  the  "  two  little  knights." 

MILDRED'S  INHERITANCE 

A  delightful  little  story  of  a  lonely  English  girl  who 
comes  to  America  and  is  befriended  by  a  sympathetic 
American  family  who  are  attracted  by  her  beautiful 
speaking  voice.  By  means  of  this  one  gift  she  is  en- 
abled to  help  a  school-girl  who  has  temporarily  lost  the 
use  of  her  eyes,  and  thus  finally  her  life  becomes  a  busy* 
happy  one. 

a- a 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &*  COMPANY'S 


By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON   (Continued) 

CICELY  AND  OTHER  STORIES  FOR  GIRLS 

The    readers   of   Mrs.    Johnston's    charming   juvenile? 
will  be  glad  to  learn  of  the  issue  of  this  volume  for  youn 
people. 

AUNT  'LIZA^S  HERO  AND  OTHER  STORIES 

A  collection  of  six  bright  little  stories,  which  will  appeal 
to  all  boys  and  m^st  girls. 

BIG  BROTHER 

A  story  of  two  boywt.  The  devotion  and  care  of  Stephen, 
himself  a  small  boy,  lor  his  baby  brother,  is  the  theme  of 
the  simple  tale. 

OLE  MAMMY'S  TORMENT 

"  Ole  Mammy's  Torment  "  has  been  fitly  called  "  a 
classic  of  Southern  life."  It  relates  the  haps  and  mis- 
haps of  a  small  negro  lad,  and  tells  how  he  was  led  by 
love  and  kindness  to  a  knowledge  of  the  right. 

THE  STORY  OF  DAGO 

In  this  story  Mrs.  Johnston  relates  the  story  of  Dago, 
a  pet  monkey,  owned  jointly  by  two  brothers.  Dago 
tells  his  own  story,  and  the  account  of  his  haps  and  mis- 
haps is  both  interesting  and  amusing. 

THE  QUILT  THAT  JACK  BUILT 

A  pleasant  little  story  of  a  boy's  labor  of  love,  and  how 
it  changed  the  course  of  his  life  many  years  after  it  was 
accomplished 

FLIP'S  ISLANDS  OF  PROVIDENCE 

A  story  of  a  boy's  life  battle,  his  early  defeat,  and  his 
final  triumph,  well  worth  the  reading. 
A  — 12 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


By  EDITH  ROBINSON 
A  LITTLE  PURITAN'S  FIRST  CHRISTMAS 

A  story  of  Colonial  times  in  Boston,  telling  how  Christ- 
mas was  invented  by  Betty  Sewall,  a  typical  child  of  the 
Puritans,  aided  by  her  brother  Sam. 

A  LITTLE  DAUGHTER  OF  LIBERTY 

The  author  introduces  this  story  as  follows: 
"  One  ride  is  memoraule  in  the  early  history  of  the 
American  Revolution,  the  well-known  ride  of  Paul 
Revere.  Equally  deserving  of  commendation  is  another 
ricle,  —  the  ride  of  Anthony  Severn,  —  which  was  no  less 
historic  in  its  action  or  memorable  in  its  consequences." 

A  LOYAL  LITTLE  MAID 

A  delightful  and  interesting  Btory  of  Revolutionary 
days,  in  which  the  child  heroine,  Betsey  Schuyler,  renders 
important  services  to  George  Washington. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  REBEL 

This  is  an  historical  tale  of  a  real  girl,  during  the  time 
when  the  gallant  Sir  Harry  Vane  was  governor  of  liassa- 
chusetts. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  PIONEER 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  the  Puritan  settlement 
at  Charlestown. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  BOUND  GIRL 

A  story  of  Boston  in  Puritan  days,  which  is  of  great 
interest  to  youthful  readers. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  CAVALIER 

The  story  of  a  "  Little  Puritan  Cavalier  "  who  tried 
with  all  his  boyish  enthusiasm  to  emulate  the  spirit  and 
ideals  of  the  dead  Crusaders. 

A  PURITAN  KNIGHT  ERRANT 

The  story  tells  of  a  young  lad  in  Colonial  times  who 
endeavored  to  carry  out  the  high  ideals  of  the  knigfct* 
of  olden  days. 
A— 13 


L.  C.  PAGE  &*  COMPANY'S 


By  OUIDA  (Louise  de  la  Ramee) 

A  DOG  OF  FLANDERS 

A  Christmas  Story 

Too  well  and  favorably  known  to  require  description. 

THE  NURNBERG  STOVE 

This  beautiful  story  has  never  before  been  published 
%t  a  popular  price. 

By  FRANCES  MARGARET  FOX 

THE  LITTLE  GIANT'S  NEIGHBOURS 

A  charming  nature  story  of  a  "  little  giant  "  whose 
neighbors  were  the  creatures  of  the  field  and  garden. 

FARMER  BROWN  AND  THE  BIRDS 

A  little  story  whi^h  teaches  children  that  the  birds  are 
man's  best  friends. 

BETTY  OF  OLD  MACKINAW 

A  charming  story  of  child  life. 

BROTHER  BILLY 

The  story  of  Betty's  brother,  and  some  further  advrn- 
tures  of  Betty  herself. 

MOTHER  NATURE'S  LITTLE  ONES 

Curious  little  sketches  d  scribing  the  early  lifetime,  or 
"  childhood,"  of  the  little  creatures  out-of-doors. 

HOW    CHRISTMAS    CAME    TO    THE    MUL- 
VANEYS 

A  bright,  lifelike  little  story  of  a  family  of  poor  children 
with  an  unlimited  capacity  for  fun  and  mischief. 

THE  COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS 

Miss  Fox  has  vividly  described  the  happy  surprises  that 
made  the  occasion  so  memorable  to  the  Mulvaneys,  and 
the  funny  things  the  children  did  in  their  new  environ- 
ment. 
A— 14 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


By  MISS  MULOCK 

THE  LITTLE  LAME  PRINCE 

A  delightful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  has  many  ad- 
ventures by  means  of  the  magic  gifts  of  his  fairy  god- 
mother. 

ADVENTURES  OF  A  BROWNIE 

The  story  of  a  household  elf  who  torments  the  cook 
and  gardener,  but  is  a  constant  joy  and  delight  to  the 
children  who  love  and  trust  him. 

HIS  LITTLE  MOTHER 

Miss  Mulock's  short  stories  for  children  are  a  constant 
source  of  delight  to  them,  and  "  His  Little  Mother,"  in 
this  new  and  attractive  dress,  will  be  welcomed  by  hosts 
of  youthful  readers. 

LITTLE  SUNSHINE'S  HOLIDAY 

An  attractive  story  of  a  summer  outing.  "  Little  Sun- 
shine "  is  another  of  those  beautiful  child-characters  for 
which  Miss  Mulock  is  so  justly  famous. 

By  MARSHALL  SAUNDERS 
FOR  HIS  COUNTRY 

A  sweet  and  graceful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  loved 
his  country;  written  with  that  charm  which  has  endeared 
Miss  Saunders  to  hosts  of  readers. 

NITA,  THE  STORY  OF  AN  IRISH  SETTER 

In  this  touching  little  book,  Miss  Saunders  shows  how 
dear  to  her  heart  are  all  of  God's  dumb  creatures. 

ALPATOK,  THE  STORY  OF  AN  ESKIMO  DOG 

Alpatok,  an  Eskimo  dog  from  the  far  north,  was  stolen 
from  his  master  and  left  to  starve  in  a  strange  city,  but 
was  befriended  and  cared  for,  until  he  was  able  to  returc 
to  his  owner. 
A  — 15 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY'S 


By  WILL  ALLEN  DROMGOOLE 

THE  FARRIER'S  DOG  AND  HIS  FELLOW 

This  story,  written  by  the  gifted  young  Southern 
woman,  will  appeal  to  all  that  is  best  in  the  natures  of 
the  many  admirers  of  her  graceful  and  piquant  style. 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  FELLOW 

Those  who  read  and  enjoyed  the  pathos  and  charm 
of  "  The  Farrier's  Dog  and  His  Fellow  "  will  welcome 
the  further  account  of  the  adventures  of  Baydaw  and 
the  Fellow  at  the  home  of  the  kindly  smith. 

THE  BEST  OF  FRIENDS 

This  continues  the  experiences  of  the  Farrier's  dog 
and  his  Fellow,  written  in  Mr.  Dromgoole's  well-known 
charming  style. 

DOWN  IN  DIXIE 

A  fascinating  story  for  boys  and  girls,  of  a  family  of 
Alabama  children  who  move  to  Florida  and  grow  up  in 
the  South. 


By  MARIAN  W.  WILDMAN 

LOYALTY  ISLAND 

An  account  of  the  adventures  of  four  children  and 
their  pet  dog  on  an  island,  and  how  they  cleared  their 
brother  from  the  suspicion  of  dishonesty. 

THEODORE  AND  THEODORA 

This  is  a  story  of  the  exploits  and  mishaps  of  two  mis- 
chievous  twins,    and    continues   the    adventures   of   the 
interesting  group  of  children  in  "  Loyalty  Island." 
A— 16 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 
Jean  Versfelt  Preston 


M(  112006 


